Ulterior Year One
by Ugly Kitten
Summary: YYHHP. Kurama and Kaz show up for a Hogwarts education and espionage for Spirit World. What they get is an interworld war. Voldie's coming early, and with demon allies. With only eleven-year-old wizards to fight them off. And that's only the beginning...
1. The Letters

Hello, hello

**Hello, hello! Maybe ya'll remember me, or maybe this is new, but welcome to my newest story anyways. I'm UK, and I've finally got the time to focus on some fanfiction for a while again. This story has been spinning in my mind for almost a year, so here we go.**

**Summary: What if things went differently for Harry? What if a single Muggle-born girl and two Muggle-born boys went to his school? A slight alternative universe to the original, with some new friends and new adventures to pad the way. Romance between Harry/Ginny (later), Hermione/Kurama, Kuwabara/OC, and Ron/Luna (later). **

**Told in my older fashioned styles of William Faulkner-esque multiple point of views, here it is:**

**Ulterior**

Chapter 1: The Letters

**Harry**

Number four, Privet Drive, had been my gilded cage for eleven long years. My cousin, Dudley, had lived the life of luxury and happiness, and the pudgy idiot gets anything his heart desires. He had two large bedrooms, filled to the breaking point with stuff. I had a broken pair of eye glasses and a cupboard under the stairs. His mother lovingly woke him every morning; mine had died when I was only one in a car accident.

And my aunt made me wake up early to make his breakfast. The loud knocking on the door was her, obviously, and so was the screechy voice.

"Get up, lazy, and make breakfast." Aunt Petunia stalked off, her high heels making a loud _click_ on the linoleum. I knew what today was. It was Dudley's birthday, and it really broke my heart to hear that he was already awake. He was whining about having one less present than last year. He should be grateful. I rarely get presents for anything, and usually they're socks, and old socks at that.

I felt a little better upon finding out that I was going to get to go to the zoo with them today, instead of staying with Miss Figg and her cats. You can imagine my surprise when I started talking to a snake, but that's not important any more.

I got a letter.

I had a letter, addressed to _me_.

Of course, that didn't last very long, either.

**Sarah**

You can imagine that when I got the letter, I was a little shocked. Me, an eleven-year-old girl, normal as anything else, had a letter, delivered by an _owl_. Mom is still staring at the letter as if it was a joke, and I wasn't too sure it wasn't. At least, not until a gentleman showed up on the front stoop wearing pajama bottoms and a t-shirt advertising Pepsi-Cola. Either it was supposed to look vintage, or it was, and he didn't know how much the thing was worth at all.

He was gripping a newsboy hat in his hand nervously when mom answered the door. She didn't have any legs, so I'm sure the guy had a little bit of a shock when she opened the door. He couldn't help staring. Lots of people can't. Just don't know why they always stare at where her legs should be and not into her stunning chocolate eyes. People say we look alike, me mom and me, but I don't think so. She's so pretty, and I'm ordinary-looking.

"Mrs. Galis, I presume?" he asked, taking a tentative step forward.

"Yes, that's me, how can I, um, help you?"

"I apologize for barging in like this, but your daughter Sarah received a letter a few moments ago, and as an Informer for Muggle Parents, it's my duty to inform you the whys and wherefores and such."

Mom nodded slowly, and backed out the way. The front entryway wasn't very wide, and it took some maneuvering for the gentleman to make his way into the living room, where I was sitting. He gestured to the letter with a smile.

"I see you've already read it through, jolly good, Sarah." He put out his hand to shake, and like my dad had taught me, I shook it firmly and with authority. He seemed perturbed.

"My name is Elijah Treeamble, and I am an Informer for Muggle Parents," he said, smiling at me. "My job is to help you understand what it is we're offering you, Sarah, and explain to your mom and dad and any siblings what it all entails."

"I get that I'm invited to a special school," I said slowly. "But what's this about witchcraft? Is it like, code, for art or something?"

"Oh, no, nothing like that," Mr. Treeamble said. "Has anything odd ever happened to you, Sarah? Something unexplainable?"

I thought over my long life of mishaps. Catching the teacher on fire in kindergarten, the spigots blowing in the girls' bathroom in first grade. Oh, and can't forget the time that my water suddenly turned into juice that one time. What about the time the cat jumped out of the tree and into my arms, not hurting either of us?

"Yeah, plenty of stuff like that, but I just thought it was coincidence," I said.

"They all happened because, my dear, you have the potential to be a witch," he smiled tenderly. "Not many Muggle-borns like yourself show quite as much as you have, though. Your signs started so early."

I shrugged. "Umm…so what's this all mean?"

"On the 1st of September, you will join us on a train and head out to Hogwarts. Now, since your parents are Muggle, we'll be helping you get to Diagon Alley to get your school things, and we'll be waiting at King's Cross on the first to help you find your way to the train. There are some rules that go with all this should you accept, however."

"Like what?"

"No magic outside of school, for one thing," he said gravely. "Once you know how to control yourself, you won't be allowed to do any until you're of age. You'll graduate from Hogwarts at seventeen, that's when you'll come of age for our purposes. You'll be able to get a job then. Well, you'll learn more as we go along. I just need to talk to your parents now."

He turned to my mom, who had sat silently the whole time. "Either you or your husband will need to accompany her to get her school things. Once we let you into Diagon Alley, you'll have a map, and your list there, but that's as far as we'll be assisting you, as long as you don't need financial assistance."

"No, no, we're plenty well off," Mom said. "I'm all right with this, but I don't know how my husband will take it. He's a bit…anti-witchcraft…"

"Ah, one of those," Mr. Treeamble said. He winced. "Well, you'll have to deal with that on your own, but then, there are a few ways to get around not telling him. One way is to send a letter to the Ministry requesting a Memory Charm should he find out anything."

"I think that's best," Mom sighed. "What do you think, Sarah."

I nodded. "Probably best. Matt and David shouldn't know, either, they'll be too quick to spill. Then we'll always be asking for those...charm thingies. How would we get a letter to the…what is it again?"

"Its official name is the Ministry of Magic," Mr. Treeamble said. "Most wizards call it the Ministry for short. They're our government. And you'd send the letter by owl. I'm sure you can get one when you go shopping, it'd probably be nice to have so you can communicate."

I nodded. "Until then, not another word."

**Kurama**

"Precisely why do we have to revert back to our eleven-year-old selves, Koenma?" I asked, sitting in his office. It was just Kuwabara and myself. Yusuke had an entire section of the Makai to take care of, and Hiei and Mukuro were expecting any day now. I smiled inwardly at the thought. They were perfect for one another.

"You'll be attending the equivalent of a combined junior and high school," Koenma said, pacing atop his paperless desk. He had gotten so much better at his paperwork lately, and it wasn't even from cheating. "If I had anyone else who had as high spirit energy, I wouldn't be asking you. I know how hard it is for either of you to leave your families."

I nodded, frowning. Mother was happy with her husband and her stepson. She wouldn't mind missing me for a while.

"The fact of the matter is, you'll be learning something brand new as well," Koenma said, quietly as Botan and Hinageshi helped de-age Kuwabara and myself. "I need to know what is going on in the wizarding world. All of my contacts there have passed away in recent years. The only thing I'm aware of with them lately is deaths."

My frown deepened. "That is troubling, that you can't see their activities. Why is that so."

"It's all politics between the gods, nothing that is quite so precise as one particular reason or another," Koenma said. "The bottom line is that Spirit World doesn't see anything that happens within the wizarding realm. It's to prevent Muggles from finding out about them, mostly, among other things."

"What does us having spirit energy have to do with this?" Kuwabara asked. His intelligence had significantly increased since he buckled down to get into college. His bachelors in business had gotten him pretty far—he basically owned a small chain of restaurants, along with some realty and a few small businesses. His own business hand in things was no longer needed. Margaret, a woman who had come over from the States, watched over all of the businesses. He just reaped the benefits.

Which was probably why he was sitting here now, instead of being left alone.

"Spirit energy can be converted into magical energy with a simple potion," Koenma said, smiling broadly. "It's a one-time thing. I hear it tastes awful, but it will get you in Hogwarts with a little tweaking on my part."

Koenma produced two old-style goblets from behind his desk and handed it to each of us. As promised, the concoction looked, smelled, and ultimately, tasted like a smoothie of rancid meat, overripe fruit, and spoiled milk.

I didn't immediately feel any difference. However, after about ten minutes, my spirit energy felt…alive. As though it were a different, distinct part of me, rather than something I could call upon. Koenma smiled at the two of us.

"Something different there, huh, Youko?"

I nodded, though the feeling began to fade a little again. "What is that?"

"Magic," Koenma said, simply. "It'll spike, as if you've just cast a spell for the first time, but then the feeling will fade. You'll be able to recall it again at will now, the same as if it were your spirit energy. It is an unconscious thing."

Koenma then began to explain the "tweaks" he had been talking about before. We would be placed in a home in London as brothers with Hinageshi as a single mother of the two of us. She would be the "Muggle" who will act surprised and such when we get our letters. Since Hinageshi actually closely resembled me on a few matters, it would be a very good lie. Kuwabara as a brother, however, wasn't plausible until Koenma explained that our "father" was much taller, with carrot orange hair like Kuwabara's. I chuckled at how seamlessly this was going so far.

"Now, once you are at the school, everything will be up to you," Koenma said. "Keep up with your studies. I'd like a full report at the end of every other week. Hinageshi will visit you to pick it up, as we will have no means of communication otherwise.

"One other thing, Kurama. You will have to call your brother by his first name. Your surnames will be changing for the duration of this assignment. We'll decide that when we find the house. For now, go pack some personals to bring with you."

And like that, we were dismissed.

**Chapter End**

An introduction to Sarah, the OC, and how Kurama and Kazuma will be involved, as well as an introduction to Harry and around what period of time this is all happening in.


	2. The Wands

**Just something I ought mention now—I decided on the unknown OC factor because one, I can't seem to ever leave one out, and two Just something I ought mention now—I decided on the unknown OC factor because one, I can't seem to ever leave one out, and two, because I wanted to carry over something from Heal Me. I wanted to expand on the idea of Dream Energy, hence the addition of Sarah. Plus, there are so few people who actually like Kuwabara (I've nicknamed him Kaz) that I wanted to put someone other than Yukina with him for once.**

**Also wanted to thank those who've added me to their author alert lists. Maybe a wee review? Hmm? **

**I don't own Yu Yu or Harry Potter, I write this because I enjoy it and hope that others enjoy reading it. **

**Chapter 2: The Wands**

**Kaz(uma)**

My sister definitely was not so understanding when I told her I was leaving the country and probably wouldn't be back until I was "seventeen" again. She barely believed that I hadn't been tricked with some kind of potion and slowly growing down. But, it was for the best. A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do, and all that. I gathered up photographs of the group, and of just me and sis. I didn't really need much—I'd been on enough business trips now to know how laundry worked, and to know how much of what to bring when and why.

Shizuru insisted I take a nice suit, even though I knew I'd never wear it in the wizarding world. Of the few wizards Koenma had known prior to his last contact kicking the bucket, they didn't wear "Muggle" clothing, except when necessary. Still, I packed the suit and a decent dark blue tie. A few undershirts, seven pairs of boxers, and a few pairs of jeans. I was done and ready to go just like that.

Koenma said I could bring Eikichi with me, so I packed his favorite mouse and a couple of zip top bags of food. I emptied out his litter box and rinsed it and sanitized it before sticking it, the food, and some catnip in a grocery bag. Not like we had far to go. Koenma was going to open a portal for us so we wouldn't have to deal with a plane or a boat or anything stupid like that.

Eikichi definitely wasn't a kitten anymore, but he was still spry and playful like one. I put him in a soft carrier for the moment and waited for Koenma to appear. Sure enough, after only a minute or so, he stepped into the living room from a portal. Shizuru grabbed his ear and stared him in the eye.

"Anything happens to him, and I swear I'll kick your ass," she growled. Koenma nodded really fast, showing just how nervous my sister made him.

"Don't worry, Shizuru," he said. "It's just a fact-finding thing. No danger."

"See that it stays that way," she replied. I cleared my throat. "See ya, baby bro. Take care of the cat and the fox."

I chuckled. "No problem, Shi. I will." I set my stuff down and threw my smaller arms around her. "See you around, sis."

With that, we stepped through the portal and into a tiny apartment. The portal shut behind us. Kurama was already sitting down on the couch, his things nowhere in sight. Guess they were already in the bedroom.

"You'll be sharing the room until the first," Koenma said. "Set Eikichi up in the bathroom, okay? Hinageshi's taking care of some last-minute paperwork up in Spirit World, but she'll be down shortly. I'll see you guys off later."

I nodded and started toward the bedroom. It wasn't huge, but it wasn't incredibly tiny, either. Kurama had already hung up what clothes he had neatly up to one side of the closet. I did so too, trying to be as neat as possible so Kurama didn't have to deal with me being a slob while we were here. I set Eikichi free after I set up his litter box in the bathroom with a bowl of food and water. He immediately went and sat in Kurama's lap as I finished putting away my things.

No sooner had I finished, Hinageshi appeared out of a portal with some things for herself. At that exact moment, a pair of stately-looking owls appeared at the window, both hooting and knocking their claws against the glass. Hinageshi set off for her room, so I opened the window.

One owl flew directly to Kurama, dropping a letter on his head. The other held out a claw, revealing one for me, too.

"Ain't that something," I said, pulling it off. I set a bowl of water on the coffee table, and watched as the bird drank it. "Delivery by owl."

"Yes, very odd indeed," Kurama smiled as he carefully tore the envelope open. He read his silently while I looked at mine.

_Dear Mister Nobunaga,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry…_

Blah de blah de blah blah blah. It kept on going, but I knew what it all meant already. Hinageshi appeared out from her bedroom wearing a plain pair of blue jeans and a form-fitting black tank top.

"So, do I look like I could be a mom?" she asked, giggling.

Kurama chuckled. "Yes, Hinageshi, you do. I suppose our surname is Nobunaga, then, judging from these letters."

"Yup, Koenma figured it was easy enough for Englishmen to pronounce and still be Japanese, so you'll have an easier time in case you don't understand the English," she said. "And my name is Hina to you when no one else is here, mother when there are."

I nodded. "So, Hina, when should we be expecting the—"

A knock at the door interrupted me. Hina opened the door, and smiled brightly at the man standing at it. "Hello, how can I help you?"

"I'm Elijah Treeamble, ma'am, I trust you're Hina Nobunaga?"

"That's me!"

"Your sons, Kazuma and Kurama have each received a letter. I am here to explain it to you in a way you'll understand…"

**Harry**

I stared at the make-believe cake I'd drawn in the dirt, waiting patiently for Dudley's watch to strike midnight. When it finally did, I smiled softly to myself.

"Happy birthday, Harry," I whispered to myself. Uncle Vernon had dragged us out to a mangy little shack in the middle of a lake, panicked by the numerous letters I'd been receiving. I still hadn't been able to read it.

Just then, a loud knocking, almost banging came from the door to the shack.

**Sarah**

My dad and two little brothers believed that I had been accepted to a prestigious school in south France, and that I was going to be school shopping for clothes today. Well, it was half-true. I did have to buy school robes, and I was going to buy some underwear and socks because mine were all worn out from two years ago.

Mom had taken out a lot of money from the bank. We had no idea how much any of this was going to cost, so she wasn't taking any chances that I wouldn't have enough to pay for it and have to come back. Mom wheeled out of the bank in the wee early morning smog that hung over London. I wasn't all too nervous—I was actually happy I was going to be in a group of other Muggle-borns who needed the same "wizard store orientation", as mom called it.

We had driven out to a corner of London and left the car in favor of public transit, which was much easier in the bigger city than the suburbs. Mom bolted herself in the wheelchair ruts on the subway and I stood to let a couple of small children take the seat beside her. The kids giggled and asked mom how she'd lost her legs, to their own mother's dismay. Mom explained anyway.

"When I was about three years your junior, I caught chicken pox really bad. I caught an infection called DIC, and my feet turned black as black can be," she said, using her mock-scary voice. "They had to take them off because otherwise, I would have died."

The kids looked at her wide-eyed. I was sure their mother was about to tell them to mind their own business, when one of them said, "That's so cool!"

"Yeah, like something out of a movie, only real!"

I chuckled and met the other mother's eyes. "Mom has that effect on people, I guess."

She nodded, half-smiling.

Mom and I got off at our stop and got in an elevator back to Charing Cross Road. The meeting point for the three Muggle-born families was only a block from the subway station. I saw Mr. Treeamble waiting for us, along with a trio of redheads, two of whom were my age. There was also another girl my age, with my hair color, but her hair was really froofy and curly and unruly, where mine was only slightly wavy. She stood with a woman in a white coat, so I could only assume she was a doctor or a dentist. I waved and pushed my mom over quickly.

"Hi, Mr. Treeamble," I said. "Hi, everybody else. I'm Sarah, and this is my mom, Wanya."

"Hello," said the brown-haired girl.

"Hi." The two boys said. Obviously twins, though not matching. One obviously took after their father, and the other was more like the mother, who was a petite young lady barely old enough to have had them when she was seventeen or eighteen.

"That's everyone," Mr. Treeamble said, smiling. "The entrance is just over this way. Follow me, and don't get separated just yet. Entrances to our world are often hidden in the form of undesirable places, and Diagon Alley is one of them."

He led the way through London crowds just across the street. Between two upstanding-looking businesses was an old ratty inn/bar called the Leaky Cauldron, with peeling paint and an acrid smell coming from inside. I hesitated a moment before pushing Mom through the door, her chair barely fitting between the threshold.

The inside of the bar wasn't any better than the outside. It was dark, and the glasses that the man behind the bar itself didn't seem to be getting clean despite the fact that he was wiping them. Several unsavory-looking characters sat around, but not so many as would be suspicious. Most of them looked like they hung around just to hang around. Mr. Treeamble led the way right on through, waving at the barkeep on the way through the back door.

A tall brick wall stood there, with nothing more than a few trash bins. Before anyone could ask, Mr. Treeamble had taken a stick out of his sleeve and was tapping on individual bricks. It was then that I realized what the stick must be: a wand. As soon as my mind had figured it, the bricks began to part like sand before a bucket. We stood on a wide street filled with all kinds of stores I'd never heard of before.

The most imposing building was directly in front of us, a tall, white building held up by pillars. I guessed it must be marble. Steps led up to the copper doors. I grimaced at them, not looking forward to kicking mom's wheelchair back to lift her whole-hog up the steps. For what else was the place, but Gringotts Bank, and where else would we trade Muggle money for wizard money.

"Our first stop is the bank," Mr. Treeamble said, confirming my worst fears. I sighed and headed toward it. He looked back as everyone followed up the steps. I turned around to kick mom back, but was that surprised when her entire chair lifted from the ground and landed her harmlessly at the top. I looked at Mr. Treeamble, but he was looking past me at an elderly wizard wearing dark purple robes and a long beard. His crystal eyes twinkled at me over half-moon glasses.

"I don't usually suggest magic for everything in the world, but for this I'm sure you understand," he said, smiling. He gave a little wave and walked up and into Gringotts before us.

"Do you know him?" I asked Mr. Treeamble as I started pushing Mom into the bank. One of the redheads opened one copper door while the other was holding the silver ones beyond it. There was a sign on one, but I didn't pause to read it.

Once everyone was inside, he answered. "Yes. That was your headmaster, Dumbledore."

I laughed. "Well, mom, at least you can say you've met someone from school now, huh." She nodded, smiling up at me. "You should thank him next time you see him."

Mr. Treeamble had our parents at the counter exchanging money, so now we had a little time to talk.

"Sarah, was it?" said the brown-haired girl.

"Yeah," I said.

"I'm Hermione Granger," she said. "I couldn't believe any of this was true, until Mr. Treeamble turned my mother's lamp into a china dish and back again."

I chuckled. "I had a little more faith. I haven't seen any magic except what Headmaster Dumbledore just did, and the stuff I've done. What about you guys?"

"We were the same," said the one with brilliant red hair. "I'm Kurama, by the way, and this is my brother, Kazuma."

"Wow, that's confusing," I said. "Two guys with the same letter starting. How about I just call you Kaz, okay?"

Kaz looked startled, but nodded all the same. "Sure, I guess. Not like I won't answer to it. My s—cousin used to call me that when she was little."

Kurama smiled tightly. "I remember that. Perhaps it would be a good idea to revert to it, considering we are no longer home."

"Home?" I asked.

"We just moved here a few weeks ago from Tokyo, Japan," Kaz remarked. "My cat is still trying to shake off the jet lag."

I laughed. "Wow, that's pretty cool."

"Are you kids ready to go?" Mr. Treeamble was back, with our parents. "I think we should go get your wands now—how's that sound?"

**Hermione**

Many things rolled through my mind as I mulled over the newest events. My parents were plain, ordinary dentists, both of whom had graduated at the top of their class. My dad was still sore after all these years that his own wife had bested him for the absolute top, but they usually laughed it off when anyone asked about it. At any rate, the idea that I was a witch was entirely preposterous at its first suggestion. To a degree, I was unfathomably grateful that I hadn't closed the door on Mr. Treeamble's face when he'd appeared right after the owl.

However, the proof was there, and so was my determination to become a witch. I guess it was in my blood to try my best. Here I stood with two odd-looking redheads and another girl, and their mothers, and my mother, and of course, Mr. Treeamble. We all crowded into a tiny little shop with peeling gold letters stating "Ollivander's" over the door. A single wand sat in the window, decorated with silk and a beautiful wooden box. Inside the shop, thousands of wands were stacked neatly against every wall.

Sarah tried following us in, but her mother's wheelchair—the poor woman—couldn't fit through the door. We were already quite crowded, and I was somewhat glad, I'm afraid to admit.

"It's okay, just go on in, let me know—"

"Don't worry about the door," said an elderly man with a spry look in his eye and a limp in his step. He took a very short, very sturdy-looking wand from his pocket and swished it in the air. With a slight crunching noise, the door widened on either side of the wheels and, with a grateful smile, Sarah pushed her mother into the tight space in the store.

"Good morning," said the man. "I'm Mr. Ollivander. You must be misters Nobunaga, Miss Granger, and Miss Galis."

We all nodded mutely as he chortled to himself. "Well, now, let's get started here. The wand chooses the wizard, as I've always said. Never forgot a wand I've sold between these walls. Miss Granger, how about we start with you."

He wordlessly asked the others to back into the walls, which even Mrs. Galis did as best she could. My own mother watched in fascination as he began to measure me in places that I didn't think seemed to matter. In particular, the space I currently stood apart, the space across my palm, and between my eyebrows. Ollivander handed me a long wand made of what looked like yew after only a moment more.

"Well, go on, then," Mr. Ollivander said. "Give it a wave."

I obeyed, and was that surprised when a vase I hadn't even seen before shattered onto the floor.

"Nope, nope, definitely not," Ollivander said.

The process repeated, with more and more odd things happening each time—I even managed to turn Ollivander's ears bright green. After dozens of failed attempts, we finally reached an end. My wand glowed a vivid white, and the warmth within me told me that Ollivander had been right all along—the wand truly had chosen me.

"Vine wood and dragon heartstring, six inches," said the elderly man. He clucked his tongue gently. "Very strong, firm wood. You'll be a great witch, young lady."

The pride that swelled up in me was enough to probably power a whole city block, but I didn't care. I was going to be the best—I'd show these wizards a thing or two!

Upon the last statement, he took his own wand from his pocket, and with a gentle wave over his store, it was set right. Even the wands I'd tried magically went back in their boxes and put themselves exactly where they'd been.

Kurama and Kaz had equal trouble in getting their wands. Unlike the glow I'd had, Kurama's was green and Kaz's was a very pale orange. Kurama had twelve-inch yew wand, made with a unicorn hair. Kaz had a seven-inch yew wand as well, but his core was a phoenix feather.

Sarah's was the most interesting of all. When she'd waved her final wand, the glow was multiple colors, a huge array of sparkles. Ollivander assisted getting Wanya, her mother, back out of the shop and down his steps.

"You'll be glad to know that none of the other shops you'll need have stairs," he said, smiling kindly.

"Excuse me, sir, but what is my wand made of?" Sarah asked, her curiosity covering her face. The others all hung back to listen.

"Eucalyptus wood and hiruiseki groundings," Ollivander said, smiling at her mysteriously. "An odd combination, to be sure. The wizarding world hasn't seen a hiruiseki in three generations. That wand is nearly as old as my shop. Not many witches are lucky enough to possess the power to use a demon's tear in their wand. Keep that one safe. Doubtful you'd ever find another like it."

With that, he shut the door, leaving even Mr. Treeamble stunned.

**Chapter End**

**The reasoning for hiruiseki groundings being…well, I can't tell you now, because that'd ruin the surprise! **


	3. The Lucky Ones

**Still no reviews. T.T Awww...c'mon, you're so mean! Anyways, this chapter just goes ahead and finishes out Diagon Alley, so here we go.**

**Disclaimer: I would be considered even more of a schizo if I thought they were mine. **

**Chapter 3: The Lucky Ones**

**Kurama**

I had the feeling that Hermione and I would be the top minds of Hogwarts soon enough, because she not only bought her required books, but the next years' as well. And not only those, but several history and descriptive books. Sarah wasn't quite as eager with her book purchases, but she did buy several that looked notable. Between the two of us, Kuwabara, or Kaz, bought several titles that seemed intriguing.

Flourish and Blotts, the bookstore, had probably not seen so eager a group of students in its long existence, because the cashier looked baffled at our purchases.

"You do know that that is a O.W.L. book, right, young lady?" he asked Hermione, though he apparently answered his own question when he glanced at Mr. Treeamble.

"That's all right," Hermione said. "I'm sure just reading about it won't harm anything, right, sir?"

"Just remember that you can't cast any of these out in the Muggle world," Mr. Treeamble chuckled behind Kaz. "The most competent-seeming Muggle-borns I've ever laid eyes on, eh, Mr. Flourish?"

So, the cashier was actually one of the shop owners. He didn't look too terrible old, only in his mid-thirties, so I gathered he was an inherited owner or a child working his parents' shop.

"I haven't seen anyone so keen on readin' up since the Dumbledore brothers, and I ain't even seen them," Mr. Flourish said with a smile. "Well, you two must be brothers. Getting a lot of titles in between you, I see."

I nodded. "We would like to know as much as we're getting into as possible."

Mr. Flourish smiled. "Well, now, then, maybe you'd be interested in this book." He picked up a leather-bound tome that shown with its newness. "It's entitled _The Wizard in Me_, by a very famous Muggle-born, Justin Bellows. It details what the Muggle should know about the wizarding world. Even got a few things in there _we_ could brush up on. Unfortunately, it's the last copy."

"Could we have it?" Kaz and I asked together. We glanced at one another, then back at Mr. Flourish.

"Of course," he said, chuckling. He added it to the impressive stack we already had and announced our hefty total. I paid it without batting an eye—expensive books were possibly the best way of knowing exactly what we were getting into.

We left the bookshop and began gathering other well-needed supplies, like cauldrons and potions materials, quills and inkpots. I was quick to grab a good number of the quills, because I knew that Kaz would more than likely not be used to using such an antiquated way of writing. I was also quick to grab the self-cleaning inks, that boasted if you blotted or spilled, it would go right back in the container. I only hoped it would be able to tell the difference between a blot and a heavy hand.

At the end of the day, we were quite exhausted. Everyone now had a trunk with wheels—upon Mr. Treeamble's suggestion, so we didn't have to find unmagical luggage elsewhere. The trunks were magicked to lighten the load by over eighty percent, with a rack on to set up for cages and a side pocket for a broom.

"Now, there's one last stop to make, and it's only for those of you who would like a pet," Mr. Treeamble said, smiling.

"I need a cage for Eikichi," Kaz said.

"You can probably find a potion to enlongate his life and add magical properties to him," Mr. Treeamble said. From the look on his face, he was hoping that Eikichi was a male name. "Since I assume he isn't part Kneazle, he'll need something to up his intellect, I should think."

Kaz nodded, dumbfounded, of course.

"I want an owl," Sarah said instantly. "I have to be able to send letters."

"The school has owls you can use, but it is best to have your own," Mr. Treeamble said, smiling. Just then, I overheard a rather large man with a huge, bushy beard, speaking with a slight boy no taller than Sarah. He had black hair and wore round glasses.

"Owls are dead useful, mind," he was saying. In his huge hand, which was the size of a dust bin, was a cage with a lovely snowy owl inside.

Since it was obvious that an owl would, as the large man had said, be useful, I decided to procure my own.

So, while Kaz and Hermione left for one store, Sarah, her mother, and I went into Eeylop's Owl Emporium. It was dank, dark, and musty, and smelled of underused cleaner and droppings. The owls' cages were so packed in that I was nearly heartbroken to see them in such squalid conditions. Had I the money on me, I would have bought them all and donated them instead to the students who couldn't afford to buy a pet outright. But I digress. It was not my place at the present.

Sarah's mother turned out not to be able to enter the shop because the door was, again, too small. So she gave her daughter a hefty amount of Galleons—neither of us knew the price of an owl—and we had entered the shop alone. A bored-looking wizard of about twenty half-smiled at us.

"Hey, ladies, can I help you with anything?"

Sarah chuckled. "You should get your hair trimmed, Kurama, or you might expect people to continue thinking you're female."

The wizard paled noticeably. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean—"

"It's all right," I soothed. "It is a common error. I take too much of my mother."

The muttered, "I'll say," I ignored, because I obviously wasn't supposed to hear it. I forced a smile.

"I was looking for a strong owl that could make it to Japan," I said. "I have family left there and I'd like to be able to contact them."

"I just need a normal one," Sarah said, smiling shyly now despite her earlier quip. "Someone that won't bite." She seemed to go back and forth between being internal and external, though neither seemed to be her true personality.

The wizard nodded and led the way through the cramped store. "This one here is strong, and it's gotten a potion made with house elf's blood and a dragon's blood. Real strong, and it can snap where it needs to go."

He pulled a large-looking barn owl from the shelf. It had brownish-red eyes and a starburst of white around its eyes, reminding me heavily of Hiei. Immediately, I agreed and bought him on the spot. I also bought a large amount of owl nuts, owl treats, and a large bag of owl food, along with a larger cage.

Sarah was wandering around the shop as the wizard finished with me, looking at the various numbers of owls. She had already picked up a large cage, and food and treats, and was looking at the animals each as though she were having a hard time deciding on which one she liked best.

She seemed to spot something in the far corner of the store and made her way to a cage that had been set off from the others.

"He's not for sale," said the wizard. "He was born without one of his eyes and for some reason magic's not been able to get one that will function for him. Mr. Eeylop is considering having him put down."

The bird in question was not an owl, but a large hawk. Unlike most, it was completely white with a single black band that went all the way around his torso. Other than the missing eye, he seemed fine.

"Can he see out the other one?" Sarah asked, but she didn't have to. The hawk was following her every movement. It cooed softly at her. Any idiot could tell that the girl had fallen for the lonely bird and she wasn't about to just leave it behind in favor of a more decent specimen. The wizard smiled, no longer all business.

"He's a red-tailed hawk from the U.S., you see. We have been trying to breed up a snowy owl with it, but the result turned out to be him and another girl. Girl ended up fine, real strong and smart to boot. We think they may be able to see at night and in the day, unlike the normal either-or situation."

The wizard knelt beside Sarah. "You can have him free, if you like. We just gotta switch out your food for hawk's."

Sarah grinned and picked up the hawk's cage with a new pep in her step. "I'm gonna call you Lucky."

I chuckled as he rang up the purchase just for the cage and a couple months' of eagle food and a handful of treats. "Lucky is aptly named, Sarah."

**I enjoy adding an X factor into people's equations. The simple way that Sarah responds to things has more to do with things than meets-the-eye, but we have yet to see exactly what I mean so I'll shut up now. **


	4. Summer's End

**T.T Still no reviews...maybe I ought to put this in the Harry Potter section instead. **

**Chapter 4: Summer's End**

**Sarah **

I spent the rest of the summer locked up in my bedroom with Lucky and my schoolbooks. I didn't like _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self Protection_, because I found it dull. I read it through nonetheless—who knew when I was likely to see a dark wizard? Were they even around anymore? I'm sure they were. People like that don't just disappear.

I found _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi _fascinating, though I didn't read it from end to end with rapt attention. It was more of one of those look-it-up books than a textbook. Now _Magical Drafts and Potions_ was interesting—probably one of the few things anyone could have done without the aid of magic, and yet subtlety magic nonetheless. I was too frightened to try mixing up a potion right there in my house. First off, my dad and brothers would want to know, and second, I wasn't sure if I was allowed to yet or not.

Now, _A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration_ was awesome. I couldn't wait to try changing colors of things, and the shapes and the textures. Probably what interested me most was _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1_, because I was fascinated by simply going through the motions of the various spells with my new wand.

I had bought other books, things about the school (_Hogwarts: A History)_ and stuff about famous witches and wizards (_Order of Merlin_ and _The Real Circe_), but my schoolbooks were so far beyond anything I'd ever thought possible that I focused on them above anything else.

Of course, my dad had been really weirded out by the sudden appearance of me with a trunk full of stuff (locked) and a live bird of prey. Dad didn't know what was in my trunk, of course. The bird was what he knew about. I cleaned Lucky's cage every week, and fed him and watered him. He sat on my shoulder as I read, and sometimes accompanied me to the kitchen table. Lucky didn't spend a lot of time in his cage, and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

Lucky was also, I recalled about a week before term was supposed to begin, a mail bird. His main objective was to deliver letters for me. I really had no idea how that was supposed to work, considering. I decided to test it, just to see how it would work.

I wrote a brief note to Kurama and Kaz, telling them how I was enjoying reading my textbooks and how baffled my dad was with Lucky's presence. I folded up the note and sealed it with a sticker. I flipped it over and paused for a minute.

"Well, Lucky, I hope you know what you're doing, because I don't," I said. With that, I simply wrote Kazuma Nobunaga on the outside of the note and fixed it to Lucky's talon with some spare yarn. I opened a window and off Lucky flew into the night.

I unlocked my bedroom door after locking up the rest of my books and the notes I'd been taking on several rolls of parchment.

"Where's your bird at?" Dad asked as he peered into the room. He was probably waiting for me to come out, because the last time I'd checked he'd been in the living room.

"He's flying," I said. I went to the kitchen to get something to eat. "Relax, dad, Lucky isn't rabid. He's my pet."

"I know, you explained before," Dad said. The last time we'd had this discussion, I had told dad that I was watching the bird for a zoologist friend of mine while he was away in Turkey. So far, the lie had worked.

Matt and David were playing Guitar Hero in the living room when I entered. I smirked and grabbed the mic and a controller. "Let me play!"

The boys groaned but relented. I played through several songs with them before mom called us into the kitchen for supper.

We were halfway through supper when Lucky flew in from the window with a roll of parchment attached to his talon, and it wasn't mine. Dad, Matt, and David watched as I carefully pulled the parchment off and looked at the letter.  
"Who is that, dear?" Mom asked nonchalantly. "Your friend in Turkey?"

"No, it's that guy from school," I said, perusing the note.

_We're reading up, as well. Glad you've been able to discover how the letters work, we had no idea._

_Kaz_

The writing was simple, and he had no joined letters. He wrote neatly, as though he had only recently learned the alphabet. I was sure, from a Japanese perspective, that his writing was very well progressed. I smiled to myself as Lucky plucked a bit of steak from my fork.

"He's glad the 'pigeon' was able to figure out where he lives."

**Kurama**

Kaz's cat had taken the potions with some difficulty, but the changes were immediate. Eikichi was more energetic and intelligent. He hardly required a litter box any longer—he used the toilet like any normal being. He didn't talk, but you could see how he was listening. I transformed into my fox form just for curiosity's sake, and got a very plaintive shock.

"_So the fox finally figured it out," _Eikichi "said", a smirk coloring his golden eyes. _"It's so obvious. I _can _communicate, you know."_

"_So I see," _I said. _"Are you enjoying your new level of intellect, Eikichi?"_

"_Duh!" _He started cleaning his face. _"It's like waking up from a long sleep. Kaz takes good care of me and all, but it's good to finally talk to someone who can understand."_

"_I see what you mean," _I said. And I did. It must have been awful being alone as an animal for so long. _"If you ever need to talk, come to me. I'll find a way to transform."_

"_Thanks, Kurama. Nice of you."_

"_Not at all."_

With that, I'd transformed back into my typical red-haired human self. Hina and Kaz were in the kitchen as she cooked for our final night "home". I had been warned by the Eeylops shopkeeper that it may take up to a week for my owl to make a round trip from Japan and back, but I didn't mind too terribly much. Mother would understand, though the avenue the letter was arriving would be odd.

After all, Mother would expect my letters via post, though she did know that I was in England. I had decided that it would be best to send both Kaz's and my letters to Shizuru, and she could take my letters to Mother and gather the replies. I hated to ask that of Shizuru, but I really had no choice without telling Mother everything.

Hina had played the part of our mother flawlessly. However, there had been one minor flaw in Koenma's plan to have her visit us at the school every two weeks. Hogwarts, while already being unplottable, was located somewhere in Scotland. Hina would never find the place, let alone be able to visit every two weeks.

"I'll just write you," Hina said, smiling. "I'm sure Okuroshi can make it to Japan once a week and here once every two."

"But should our letters be found?" I wondered.

"Why don't you use invisible ink from one of your plants, Kurama?" asked Kaz, spooning himself some rice, steamed vegetables, and a couple of yakitori. It was probably the last recognizably Japanese meal we'd have for some time.

"That's true," I said. There were several Makai plants that would make excellent invisible inks that would not be revealed by magical means, or so I hoped. The only way to test that was to wait until I was aboard the Hogwarts Express tomorrow morning, and even then I should probably wait until I have a moment of privacy. "I'll leave the revealers for the inks I'll try behind for you, Hina. Most likely, I'll use the leaf juices from a tala plant to write, so you'd need the roots to reveal it."

I grew a decent amount of three of the more prominent invisible ink revealers and left her with several months' supply, and a few of the plants just in case.

With that done, and dinner eaten and put away, Kaz and I retreated to our room to pack up the rest of our things for the next day. I picked up the book that Mr. Flourish had given us, glad to have the book in my grasp. It had detailed how wizarding families lived, and a variety of jobs we could have after Hogwarts. In addition, I'd learned about why the wizarding world was so cut off from the Muggle world.

And, consequently, why Koenma didn't have access to it. Witches and wizards had been oppressed for centuries by religious peoples around the world—a famous case being that of Salem in the United States. Because of the way Koenma's father, King Enma, had treated the wizarding world for so long, the people inhabiting it were paranoid and protective of what little remained theirs.

I had learned how they traveled—the Floo Network, and Apparating—about ghosts and goblins and dragons and house elves. It had even told me about what kinds of sweets were available, and not to be afraid of moving paintings and pictures and moving staircases. I was about as prepared an eleven-year-old non-Wizarding child could ever have been.

Yet still, as Kaz and I laid down to sleep for the next morning, I couldn't help but feel the old excitement stir within me. To learn something brand new, without the hindrance of having to go it alone as I had when I first reached the Human World.

I fell asleep and dreamt of changing Kuwabara's hair purple and starting up a band called Which Witch is Which.

**Although you will find dreams mean a lot in this story, some of them just end up being silly. Like Kurama's. **


	5. The Train Ride

**Chapter 5: The Train Ride**

**Sarah**

Saying good-bye to my brothers and my dad and my mom was probably the hardest thing I'd ever done. I did everything for my mom—cleaned house, cooked, did dishes, took out the trash, mowed the lawn. I was lying to my brothers and dad about where I was going, and would have to keep up that pretense for seven years. I admit, I was a little more grown-up than a lot of eleven-year-olds, and I could keep a web of lies intact easily enough. I hated telling them to my brothers, though, and hoped, within reason, that Matt or David would follow me.

The simple fact that I had to say my farewells to my brothers and dad at home was what I really didn't like. They'd never be able to see me off at the train station, because they thought I had to take a plane. Mom drove me to King's Cross, the car silent as we made our way through the thick London traffic.

My mind was ticking away at the ticket I held, which proudly proclaimed that I would be picked up at Platform 9 ¾. Of course this had to be some kind of magically involved platform, but the question remained of what it was. The train station obviously had only whole numbers, so it was there, but it wasn't, so to speak.

Mom parked in the lot and I got her chair out and then my trunk and Lucky's cage. Fancy enough that I spotted Kaz and Kurama saying good-bye to their mother in the parking lot a bit across the way. She didn't accompany them. I pushed mom toward them, pulling my trunk along behind as she half-propelled herself on one side and I on the other.

"Hey, guys! Guys!" I called, waving. They waved back and made their way over. "Hey, how was break?"

"All right," Kaz said, smiling. His cat, Eikichi, was in a little cat atop his trunk, strapped in soundly and with care. "Where do you think this platform is, anyway?"

"I dunno. Prolly some kind of magic, and prolly between nine and ten," I said, reasoning it out aloud. "The book said the train _always_ picked up from here, but it didn't really say how to get on it."

"That's because you didn't read the extended Muggle edition." Hermione Granger's voice said, followed quickly by her face as she came closer with her mom and dad. "You just run into the wall of ten. The engine's conductor casts a spell that brings you right to the platform every year. It fades five minutes after the train is scheduled to leave."

"What would we do without you, Hermione?" I asked, grinning. "Let's go!"

Hermione and her parents led the way over the cobblestone walkway toward the brightly-colored platforms of nine and ten. The wall _looked_ solid enough to me, but I couldn't tell one way or the other. I spotted an elderly woman with a _vulture_ as a hat, and a small, chubby boy run toward the brick wall. I cringed as for a moment they seemed about to hit it, and was that surprised when they vanished.

"Guess that proves it, then," I said. "Who's first?"

After a brief silence, Hermione stepped forward with her trunk and raced for the wall. Her parents watched in horror as their little girl vanished. First her mother, and then her father soon followed. I grinned and looked down at my mom.

"Ready?"

"No, but let's anyway," she said, bracing herself. I pushed her as fast as I could and before I knew it, we were both standing in broad sunshine upon a wooden platform. For a half mile in either direction was an old, bright red steam engine, sitting on tracks that seemed to vanish after only a mile or two.

Kaz and Kurama soon followed, both of them looking around at the sights with pleasure. I smiled down at my mom and pointed out other families that I'd seen in Diagon Alley. We moved away from the barrier and I kept an eye on the time. I saw the boy I'd seen earlier, along with the lady with the vulture hat. I said hello, thinking I may as well be polite.

"Oh, hello, there," said vulture-lady. "You're a Muggle-born, aren't you? Welcome to Hogwarts, dear, very nice to meet you. This is my grandson, Neville."

"Hi, Neville," I said, grinning. "I'm Sarah. This is my mom, Wanya. I see you've got a toad there."  
"His name's Trevor," Neville said, smiling shyly.

"This guy's Lucky," I said, pointing at my half-hawk, half-owl bird. "I rescued him. The shopkeeper was gonna have him put down, cause of his eye."

"Then he truly is lucky, isn't he," smiled vulture-lady. A loud train-bell sounded behind us. "Oh, you'd better be getting aboard the train, kids. That's the five-minute warning. You'll want a seat."

I kissed my mother smartly and gave her a huge hug. "You'll be able to get your chair in okay, right, mom?"

"If she doesn't, I'll stick around and give her a hand, now, dear," said vulture-lady. I grinned a thank you and waved good-bye. Neville and I climbed aboard the train together, just in time to nearly bowl over a black-haired boy with round glasses.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I said. "I didn't mean it, there's so much going on, I—"

"It's okay," he said, picking up his trunk. A great owl, brilliantly white, was sitting all ruffled in its cage. "It's okay, Hedwig."  
I righted my own trunk, grimacing. "Lucky, you're just fine. Come on, then. Oh, Neville, get up here, the train'll leave any minute!" I pulled my own trunk to the side and grabbed Neville's. Trevor hopped out of his grasp and started for the head of the train. I stopped the toad with gentle pressure on its back and waited for Neville to right himself, then handed him the toad.

"Thanks. He keeps trying to make off on his own," Neville said, grinning. "Just like a toad, eh?"

"I guess. I've never really seen one that big before, but I guess that's why he's a magic toad and not a normal one."

The train started away from the station. "Better find seats," Neville said. "Compartments fill quick, so my Gran says."

I nodded. "Come on. Hey, what'd you say your name was?" I asked the black-haired boy.

"Uh, Harry. Harry Potter," he said.

Neville stared at him. "Are you really?"

I had, of course, read of the great Boy Who Lived, but I wasn't really all that interested, to tell you the truth. So the Killing Curse didn't work just that once—maybe some other, more powerful magic was at work. Maybe Harry was just immune to it. Who knew? Better witches than me had tried to puzzle it out, and putting him as a one-year-old on a pedestal wasn't going to change much. I mean, You Know Who was dead. What'd it matter?

Nonetheless, I could tell that Neville was curious about him. Harry lifted up his hair to show his scar—really cool looking, actually, shaped like a lightning bolt. Other than that…not really much left to him. He was a wizard who grew up Muggle. Naturally, that meant he had either read a lot about it, or he wasn't like that and was still completely clueless.

From his reactions to things so far, I waged on the latter.

The three of us found a compartment near the end of the train that contained only one boy, a redhead with a rat.

"Hey, can we sit with you?" I asked.

"Sure."

With that, the three of us put away our trunks and sat down. Me next to the new redhead, and Neville across, next to Harry. Neville was still regaling Harry with questions about You Know Who.

"You're Harry Potter, aren't you?" asked the redhead. Neville looked chagrined when Harry glared at him, but he nodded, tossing his floppy, uncombed hair out of the way so the boy could see his scar.

"I can't remember anything, so stop asking, and don't start asking," Harry said, looking at Neville and at the redhead.

"Wasn't gonna," said the boy. "I'm Ron, by the way. Ron Weasley. And this is Scabbers."

"He looks a little sick," I said. Actually, he looked like a carrier for the Plague, but I didn't want to beat my chances at having friends right from the start.

I was pretty sure there weren't that many compartments on the train, so either we'd be expecting at least two stragglers in the car, or we'd be left to our own devices. Considering what I'd read, I think it would be the former, at least for one other. Sure enough, about ten minutes or so later, a familiar face slid the compartment door to the side, looking quite bedraggled. Her foofy brown hair was even more out there, probably from the stress of trying to find a compartment. She'd probably looked through a lot, considering how far back we were.

"Hey, Sarah," she said, breathing just a bit erratically. "Can I sit with you, everywhere else is full."

"Sure, have a sit," I said, patting the seat beside me. "There's room for your trunk by mine, if you like." She grinned and set about putting her trunk up. There was no pet with her, so I wondered what Kaz and she had done while Kurama and I got our birds. Probably nothing more than got the potions to lengthen Eikichi's life.

"I'm Ron Weasley, that's Neville Longbottom, and he's Harry Potter," Ron said, pointing at Neville and then Harry.

"_The _Harry Potter?" Hermione asked. Harry, for his part, looked like he was about to shout to the whole train that _yes_, he was Harry Potter, and _no_, he didn't want to sign any autographs, thank you very much.

He settled for tiredly nodding. "I don't remember anything. Really."

Hermione nodded. "I thought so. I mean, you were only one year old. Still, it would have been _awesome_ to know what would repel that curse."  
Harry nodded hopelessly. He looked like he'd rather get the subject dropped, so I changed it in hopes to make him happier and keep everyone else with a happier ride.

"So, what do you think Hogwarts will be like? I mean, I read _Hogwarts, a History_, but come on, history books don't say much for the present. You remember Headmaster Dumbledore, Hermione? I wonder what he'll be like there."

"You've met him?" Ron asked.

"Briefly," Hermione said. "He actually helped Sarah's mom get into Gringotts."

"Helped her…?" Neville's unasked question was obvious.

"I'm Muggle-born," I explained quickly. "Mom's got no legs. Amputee. She's in a wheelchair, and…"

"The steps," Ron nodded. "Of course. Cool. I've always wondered what'd it be like not to have body parts like that. I mean, it sort of happens sometimes with Apparition, leaving bits behind. I'd wonder if they could regrow your mom's limbs."

"Be kind of a stretch, I dunno," I said. What _would_ Mom be like with her legs, able to walk like anyone else? "My dad would have to find out that I'm a witch, then, though. I'd like to wait, if that's true, till I find out if I can do it. No need to tell dad, _and _dash hopes from my mom, you know what I mean?"

"Your dad doesn't know?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," I blushed. "He's uh…"

I was interrupted by the door sliding open again. Kurama and Kaz stood at the doorway, looking at the five of us, crestfallen.  
"Sorry," Kaz mumbled, moving to shut the door.

"It's okay," I smiled.

They shut the door.

**Kurama**

Kaz and I continued down the train, not believing our luck. Not a single compartment so far hadn't been full. Well, except there was one seat left in Sarah and Hermione's car, but I'd rather us not be split up so quickly. We continued down the train in much the same fashion, finding absolutely no seats. The caboose compartment contained one seat only, meaning one of us would have to hope that Sarah and Hermione's compartment still had a vacancy. But then, why would it not? I began to think it was some sort of ploy to pack students in, so that everyone had met five other people the first train ride.

"I'll go back," Kaz said. He smiled at the five occupants of the car, a pair of twin girls giggling beside each other, with another young girl beside them. On the other side were two boys. I took the final seat as Kaz left, hopefully to get a seat with Sarah and Hermione.

"What's your name, sweetheart?" asked one of the twins.

"Kurama Nobunaga," I said smoothly, the new name not fazing me really. I was used to taking on new identities. "That was my twin brother, Kazuma, better known as Kaz."

"I'm Lavender, and these are my best friends Padma and Parvati Patil," she giggled. Although the two (Parvati and Lavender) appeared quite brave, and were speaking with me openly, I noticed that Padma wasn't nearly so bold. I wondered if this was one of those twin things that I would be able to use to my advantage. These two girls, matching in everything down to the ribbons plaiting their hair, were as different as could be. I turned to the two boys.

"I'm Seamus Finnegan," said the one beside me. He had a very heavy Irish accent, making me wonder just how far Hogwarts accepted students from.

"Dean Thomas," said the last boy. Although I was used to seeing all kinds of colors of demon skin, I wasn't so used to seeing so dark a tint in humans. Very few people of color traveled to Japan, and fewer still ended up crossing my path. It was a refreshing reminder of my home in the Makai. He was the only other one in the compartment wearing blue jeans, leading me to ask.

"Are you Muggle-born?"  
"Yes," he answered, smiling. He patted the legs of his jeans. "Give me away, do they?"

I nodded, chuckling. "So…I take it you met Mr. Treeamble, too?"

"Yes, I did," Dean nodded. "Oh, I get it. You're wondering why I didn't end up in the same group as you for the initiation in Diagon Alley."

I nodded, that being exactly what was on my mind.

"I went with another group. My parents were working that day. There were three other groups, or so I'm told. Me and Terry Boot were the only ones who got that little tour. I heard the first group had a handicapped lady, and the second was stuffed so full that Mr. Treeamble had someone else helping him, a Mr. Weasley."

"That explains things, then," I nodded. "By the way, I was in the group with the handicapped lady. She was the mother of Sarah Galis."

"Ah, cool. Man, I'd hate to have a mom like that. It'd be cool, but still. Everyone staring at you…"

"Sarah seemed to have a good deal of respect for her mother," I said evenly.

The conversation turned back to more comfortable topics, but I was lost in my thoughts and only nodded once in a while. Sarah's mother was an anomaly, something I'd never seen before in all of my long years. The only other person I knew of with any kind of disability was Yomi, and he certainly was better off for his.

After a few hours, a little old witch pushing a trolley cart loaded down with impossible amounts of candies and snacks opened our compartment door.

"Anything from the trolley, dears?" she asked. I looked at her selection curiously. The mission really, here, was to experience all that I could of the wizarding world. Certainly that meant candy and foods, too. I smiled and looked around the compartment.

"Choose what you like," I told the others. "I'll pay."

"That's very generous of you, dear," smiled the trolley lady.

Seamus and Dean both got a few Chocolate Frogs and a bag each of Every Flavor Beans, while the girls opted for Sugar Quills and Fizzing Whizbees. I asked for a sampling of each item on the cart, including amber-colored bottles called Butterbeer. I placed most of my stash in my pack. I was curious enough about the Chocolate Frogs to buy a dozen. That was the only thing I kept out.

"Probably a good idea," said Parvati. "From what our mother said, we don't get a lot of candy, per se, at Hogwarts. We get deserts, but we're not able to go to Hogsmede until third year."

I thanked my inner self for its foresight, because then I wouldn't have been able to sample such succulent delights for another two years. Well, at least not until the ride home, I figured. I unwrapped the Chocolate Frog and was that surprised when it leapt from my hands and onto Padma's lap. She laughed and grabbed it, handing it back.

"Hold on tight to it," she said, the shyness gone for a moment. "They're bewitched to jump. Although most will tell you it has one good jump, don't mean it doesn't have a couple more smaller ones."

"Compared to the one, I think I'll be more careful here on," I chuckled. I bit off the frog's leg, trying to act like any normal eleven-year-old boy.

"Oh, look at that!" said Dean, pointing to the inside casing of his Chocolate Frog packaging. "His name is Albus Dumbledore. Wonder who he is?"

"Our headmaster," I said quietly. The inside of my wrapper had someone named Agrippa on it, but the sheer fact that I'd made that connection startled all the others.

"How d'you know?" Seamus asked.

"Mr. Treeamble told me after he helped Sarah's mother enter Gringotts," I said, smiling.

Dean and Seamus each read their cards aloud, and I did as well from mine. Lavender giggled at every other word, and I dearly hoped that I would not have to put up with another fan club dedicated solely to my face all over again.

After a few more hours, we were informed that we had to get our uniforms on. The "robes" were little more than a white dress shirt, black slacks, and a simple black cloak that went over it all. A gray tie completed the ensemble. I supposed students were allowed whatever sort of footwear they wanted, because I noticed that Padma and Parvati were still wearing sneakers under their uniforms when I returned from the men's room. Apparently, the announcement to dress was made by each compartment, because I had no trouble getting dressed.

"We're slowing down," Seamus said, grinning ear to ear. I reached in the cage to stroke Okuroshi's feathers as the train started to squeal. None of the other occupants of the compartment had brought a pet. I wondered in the back of my mind whether they had just decided not to, like Hermione, or if they hadn't been able to afford it.

Just as soon as I'd begun to think we weren't going to stop, we did. A loud, authoritative voice told us to leave all of our things on the train, that they would be taken care of. I petted Okuroshi one more time, then filed out with the others to see what awaited us outside.

**Whelp, there's the fifth chapter. :) I really like how the first day of classes went now that they're written! I kinda wish someone would tell me how this is going, though. **


	6. The Sorting

**(AN: Although JK has firmly stated that Hogwarts has around a thousand students, evidence in her books actually calculate around 300. I'm going to go with my own calculations. Sorry for any who disagree.)**

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Chapter 6: The Sorting

**Kazuma**

Harry, Ron, Sarah, Neville, Hermione, and I made our way carefully out of the compartment and into the chaos of the corridor. I hated leaving Eikichi to be handled by some stranger, but I had no choice. The others got lost in the sea of identical black uniforms, though I noticed that some of the others had different color ties on than I did, and they had a patch on their left breast, too.

Outside, the sun had already set, but only a few stars had come out. It was early in the evening, so more than likely we were going to be fed—however they did that here—and then sent to our rooms to unpack. That was my guess, but knowing what little I did of Hogwarts of what Kurama told me, we'd probably get sorted into our houses, too.

"Firs' years! Firs' years, foller me!"

I recognized that giant of a man, and with a start, I realized where I'd seen Harry before too. In Diagon Alley, just before Kurama and Sarah went to get their birds. This man was the one who showed Harry around.

"Hello, Hagrid." I heard Harry's voice and waded through the sea of students. I was tall for my "age", but still the older students made it difficult to see. I found Harry, and the man—Hagrid—easily enough once I was out of the throng of older students headed for another area of the platform.

"Follow me. Got everybody?" Well, of course, no one knew anyone else unless they had ridden in the compartment together, and still again we'd all gotten separated by the scramble to get out. But he obviously knew that. "Okay, follow the person in front of you and no one run off. Follow me."

Harry got right behind Hagrid's bulk and I latched on, figuratively speaking, to Harry's uniformed back. After a very brief, but trying walk through a patch of woods and mud, we arrived at a small dock. Thirteen rowboats without oars sat in the black water, with only a lantern and the seats.

"Three to a boat!" Hagrid shouted. He took a whole boat all to himself.

Harry and I took a boat and I was relieved that Ron found us shortly afterwards. I liked people, but getting to know a bunch of new people all on one night was trying. I knew more was to come, but I'd rather wait till later.

As soon as all were accounted for, or so I assumed, the boats lurched off the shoreline and made their way out into open water. They rocked slightly, but other than that, the boats pleasantly floated over the waves at an even, steady pace. Neither fast nor slow. Hagrid's loud voice bellowed back, spreading over all of the boats like the fog that hung around the shore.

"You'll git yer firs' glance of Hogwarts aroun' the bend!"

Harry, Ron, and I watched carefully as the fog began to lift and the bend began. At first, all I saw were lights dancing out of reach. And then…a magnificent castle, as vast as it was beautiful, appeared. I didn't bother counting the floors—the towers made it difficult to tell how many there were. And there were so many, I couldn't even count them from this angle.

The castle came closer and closer, and soon enough we'd reached the other shore. I saw a small shack with a small garden outside of it as we walked up, along with what looked like a field way off in the distance. Hagrid led the way up a hill and then through a pair of heavy, solid oak doors. Inside was a huge hall, filled with armor on either side of the door we'd come in. I heard a hundreds of voices from the side of one door—probably the dining hall. Instead of leading us in there, however, a woman met us in the hall and strode across without a word toward another door.

On the other side of said door was a tiny room, where she began to inform us of what would happen after this.

"For some of you this may be new information," She smiled tightly. "I am Professor McGonagall, your Deputy Headmistress. Hogwarts school is divided up into four houses. They will be akin to your family for your stay here. Triumphs will earn you points, and rule-breaking will lose them. The houses are Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Griffindor, and Slytherin. Each of the houses have turned out wonderful witches and wizards. In a few moments, I will lead you into the Great Hall where you will be sorted. Smarten yourselves up. I will come back for you when we are ready."

She turned on her heel and walked out of the room. I took a moment to look around, and I was almost sure that we were standing in the equivalent of the teacher's lounge. There were cups lining one wall, and a small stove on the other. A table had been cleared recently from the floor—I could see the dust marks where the legs of the table and the chairs had been. Before I could say anything more, however, Professor McGonagall was back.

"We're ready for you,"

**Sarah**

The Great Hall was gorgeous. In spite of being ready to see floating candles overhead, of being ready to see the starlit sky winking down at me, and the ghosts hanging over the tables. I wasn't ready. It was magnificent. Four long tables, made of oak or maple or something, sat students of all the higher years already.

The entire room, bar none, was silent when we walked in. After a rough count of us, the first years, I could say with confidence there were around thirty-five of us, maybe fewer. There was about three hundred head in the room, total, period. So there weren't many wizards and witches in Britain, then, at least not many children. I walked nervously in the line, and I could tell most of the others felt about the same. Some even looked a tad green.

We lined up against one wall, next to a single large table filled with people wearing green ties. I supposed they were Slytherin, considering the snake in the crest on their chest. Everyone looked forward, at a tiny three-legged stool beside Professor McGonagall. A hat similar to the one I had bought, but much older and with a tear on its front, sat on the stool. We all seemed to be waiting for something.

But what?

Then, to my surprise, the hat began to sing.

_Long ago, fair Griffindor_

_Had this to say to them_

_When we are gone, what _

_Will happen then?_

_To sort them all _

_Like we have done_

_Is a big task indeed_

_So what will run_

_That Sorting every time_

_Why a hat, a hat!_

_With brains and that_

_The wit of a cat_

_And hence was me!_

_Griffindor favors courage_

_Ravenclaw the bright_

_Slytherin the cunning_

_And Hufflepuff the light_

_I have a warning, small_

_And just here to speak_

_Stand together, houses_

_And you shall reach the peak_

_Divided with calamity bring_

_Us all at demon's door_

_But trust in your headmaster_

_Our beloved Dumbledore! _

The hat fell silent and the tear at the brim stopped moving. What was the hat trying to say, exactly? I was baffled by most of it, though I did understand the gist. It was going to sort us into the houses. Somehow.

Professor McGonagall came back to the stool. "When I call your name, come forward and put the Sorting Hat on your head. Abbott, Hannah!"

All of the first years, myself included, watched as the hat fell over Hannah's head and hid her eyes from everyone. At first, nothing happened. And then, to everyone's surprise, the hat shouted "Hufflepuff!" Clapping came from the table three down from where we stood. I could barely make out yellow ties on them.

I paid attention for a good amount of it. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Kazuma, and his brother Kurama ended up in Griffindor. So did Parvati Patil (not Padma, though, she was Ravenclaw), Seamus Finnegan, Dean Thomas, and Lavender Brown. Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, Pansy Parkington were Slytherin. Justin Finch-Fletchley and Ernie MacMillan were in Hufflepuff with Hannah. Terry Boot and Su Li were Ravenclaws. Suddenly, though, it was my turn.

"Galis, Sarah!" I walked briskly up to the front, since I was in the back of the line and I didn't want to keep everyone waiting. More than half of the others had already gone. I sucked in a deep breath before sitting down on the tiny stool.

"Hmm…such a bright mind. Strange dreams when you were younger, eh? Certainly are perceptive. Oh, I wouldn't put you in Hufflepuff…but really, this is a puzzle…you'd fit just about anywhere. Let's just put you in GRIFFINDOR!"

I grinned sheepishly at Professor McGonagall as I made my way over to the far end of the four long tables. They were all cheering as I took my seat between Kaz and Hermione. I was glad, because my favorite color was red and I really didn't consider myself too brave. Maybe being in this house would change that. Why had the hat mentioned the dreams I'd had as a child, though? Were they really relevant, three years down the line?

I shrugged it off, and watched the rest of the sorting. If I'd counted right, there were a total of thirty-four first year students. Eleven of which ended up in Griffindor, myself included.

At the Head Table were almost a dozen teachers. I saw Hagrid, and the man who'd helped my mom out at Diagon Alley, Dumbledore. McGonagall had joined them as soon as the sorting was done, the hat and the stool mysteriously vanishing. Dumbledore stood and smiled.

"I will say a few words, and then we can begin our welcoming feast. Underhill. Belonia. Oddment. Hetcher."

I was still watching Dumbledore when Hermione tapped me on the shoulder and pointed down at the table. In my absence of mind, platters of food and goblets of water and pumpkin juice had appeared on the table. I spied shepherd's pie and dug in on that, steaks, steamed broccoli, and a bowl of beef stew. I downed a lot of pumpkin juice, something that I hadn't thought I'd like, but was good nonetheless. After everyone had finished eating, the platters refilled with deserts. I helped myself to treacle tart and a chocolate éclair.

Dumbledore stood, and the desert disappeared, though glasses of iced water remained on the tables for thirsty folks.

"I don't want to keep you much longer, but I must make some announcements. First years will note that he forest on grounds is strictly forbidden. Mr. Filch has a list of banned items up outside of his office. The third floor corridor on the left hand side is forbidden, unless you want to suffer a painful death. On that same note, if anyone sees anything odd, I want it reported immediately to one of the teachers. Now, off to bed with you lot! Prefects lead the first years."

**Kaz**

"Usually he gives reasons for stuff," Ron said, puzzling over Dumbledore's beginning-of-the-year remarks. "The forest's full of dangerous creatures, everyone knows that."

"Well, maybe he's hoping people will catch the anomaly and see it as being more serious than normal," Kurama said.

"Maybe," Ron shrugged.

I watched Percy Weasley's back carefully as we made our way up staircase after staircase. All of the portraits around the stairs were moving. Some of them just stared at us, but a couple of them said "hello, children!" as we passed by. I was beginning to think we weren't ever going to get there—we'd gone up six staircases. The last one had moved on us, making Percy groan and explain that we had to go around to another one.

"He sure likes being a Prefect, doesn't he?" Sarah asked Ron as we made our way around the sixth floor hallway.

Ron snorted softly. "He's been gloating about it all summer. Loves the attention."

Fred and George Weasley were following us, too. "Yeah, he's just been pompous and unbearable. Not like we care." Which one was it who'd spoken?

The hallway led around to several other staircases, and we'd already passed three. Percy had looked up each one, muttered to himself, and continued on. At the sixth one, he grinned back at the rest of us. "Here we are. Quickly, now, we don't want to lose it."

We rushed up the stairs at these words, hoping that we didn't have to walk much further after this one. Hopefully no more changing staircases, anyway.

"I can't wait to see our beds, but how are we gonna get our stuff up all those stairs?" Harry asked as we arrived on the landing. Neville huffed up the last step, only for the staircase to start moving just as he'd got off.

"That was close," he muttered.

Fred and George snickered, but at Neville's close call or at Harry's comment, I couldn't tell. Percy headed straight down another hall, this one full of full-bodied portraits framed in gold. At the very end of the hall was a painting of a very fat woman in a pink dress. Folds of fat came from her bare arms and showed at her lower legs. Her tiny feet were daintily put in a pair of dark red, high-heeled shoes.

In a voice as deep as a French horn, she spoke. "Password?"

"Caput Draconis," Percy said, with a little titter to himself. The female Prefect beside him just shrugged off the implications of the phrase. The portrait swung open like a door and a large round hole appeared in the wall behind it. I spotted an old armchair and a huge fireplace, but other than that my first glimpse of the Griffindor Common Room would wait until a bunch of the others had gotten into the door first.

When at last it was my turn, I climbed in to receive a shock. The Common Room was enormous, covering an area that would rival my entire apartment back home five times over. There were actually three fireplaces, but only the largest one was lit. Brilliant red and gold tapestries hung on the walls, seemingly held there by magic because there weren't any fastenings. Only one—a tapestry between two huge, arched windows to the right—had the Griffindor lion on it, roaring toward the left. There were bunches of little areas set off with armchairs and couches and ornate side tables and coffee tables.

Two such areas were by the largest fireplace, and one at each of the unlit fireplaces. Sarah and Hermione were both staring at the fireplace, where a stack of library books sat from somewhere. Percy pointed as he spoke.

"Boys dorms on the right, girls on the left. You'll find your year on the outside of the doors. Good night, everyone."

I followed Ron and Kurama up a winding, but sturdy black iron staircase. At the first landing was "Seventh Year", and I let out a groan as we reached the second landing, reading "Sixth Year".

"We're at the top!" I shouted back to the other boys behind me. Groans could be heard all the way up the stairs, winding round and round and round the spiral stairs until at last, we reached the very top. "First Years" in silver, ornate letters is what it read, and I smiled as Ron pushed the door open into the spacious room.

It was round, with its own fireplace. Four-poster beds with heavy red curtains sat at spaced intervals. With a start, I recognized my own trunk, with Eikichi's cage sitting on top of it. Eikichi himself was sleeping on my bed, a bowl of food and water sat up against one wall. Kurama's owl, however, was nowhere in sight.

"I wonder where the owls are kept," Kurama said, seeing that Okuroshi wasn't with him.

Neville spoke up from where he was with his things. "There's an Owlery in the West Tower. The school owls are kept there, too. Gran told me about it, so I could send her a letter this week."

"Cool," Dean grinned. "Looks like we got it made here."

Kurama grabbed a set of sleepwear from his bags and hopped up into the bed. He closed the curtains around him and when he emerged again, he was dressed. I chuckled.

"Just like you, Rama," I said, using the nickname he'd suggested earlier in case anyone asked how close we were. Looks like I'd be getting to know him more than before.

He smiled and began unpacking his Muggle clothing into the cabinet beside his bed. I followed his example and put away my robes, blue jeans, and folded t-shirts and boxers into the drawers at the bottom. The others just got dressed and talked while we got prepared for the next day.

Kurama brushed his hair back into a ponytail and walked into the restroom at the back of the dorm. I followed him. There were showers with locking doors and a shared bath in the middle. A long line of sinks with a ceiling-to-floor mirror sat against the wall nearest the door.

Once finished in the bathroom, Kurama and me went back into the dorm where the others were still talking about one thing or another. I climbed into bed with Eikichi, who mewled and curled up against me as I laid down to sleep. I was out within minutes.

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**Don't make fun of my Sorting Hat song. I know it sucks. But with the changes, I know that the Hat would sing a different tune, and as such, tried to alter it as necessary. **


	7. First Day Part 1

**Chapter 7: First Day Part 1**

**Sarah**

Hermione and I had both finished putting away our things. Our dorm was very small—it was really only Lavender, Parvati, Hermione, and me, so our beds had an ample amount of room between. Lucky wasn't with me, but neither were any of the others' pets. Parvati told me he was most likely in the Owlery. Since I knew he could catch his own food and such, day or night, I knew he was fine. Having one eye really didn't affect him one way or the other.

I took up some bathing things and took a quick shower. I dried my hair with a fluffy white towel and deposited it in the clothing bin. It vanished after a minute or two, and reappeared again, clean. Curious, I did the same thing with my clothes from the day, and was that surprised when they appeared back, folded neatly.

"Hey, guys, check this out!" I cried, smiling. Parvati and Lavender just nodded, but Hermione looked at the clean clothes and followed my lead. She grinned at me when she came back with her clothes in the same condition.

"I thought for sure we'd have to do our own laundry," she said. "This is great!"

"Yeah," I said, hanging my robes. "Me, too. Hey, look at this." I held up my tie, which before had been the same gray color as everyone else's. After the first wash, however, it had turned the brilliant scarlet color of a Griffindor.

"So they change color when you wash them," Hermione smiled, holding her own red tie up to the light. "Well, good night, all."

"Night, Hermione," I said.

Lavender and Parvati continued chattering away, oblivious.

I shrugged and lay down to sleep.

The bed was so fluffy and comfortable, and the curtains made it just dark enough, that I fell asleep in moments.

I stood in the forest on the grounds surrounding the castle. A man with grayed skin and red eyes stood beside a unicorn, beckoning to me. I stepped forward, surprised to see Harry standing to my right. He reached out and stopped me.

"Don't. I know him."

"If you know him, then why…?"

"He's evil."

The man beckoned to me again, pulling me forward with just a glance in my eyes. Harry reached out to stop me, but this time, I ignored him. The man smiled as I drew closer and he pointed to the unicorn.

"Slay her. Drink of her blood. You will grow strong, and youthful."

I stared at the unicorn, and shook my head. "No. I don't want to hurt her."

"Kill her!"

The man grabbed my arm and pulled me forward and into the unicorn's flank. It cried out like a frightened horse, and the man reached out and pressed its shoulder. She stopped trying to escape.

"Kill her," he whispered in my ear.

"No!"

"Now!"

I ran back to Harry and stood beside him. "No! You're evil, just like Harry said!"

"Foolish child. You will regret defying my commands."

I woke up, sweating, the heavy blankets trapping my legs. Those dreams again. Was that what the Sorting Hat meant? That my dreams were coming back again? Back then, though, I hadn't known who Harry was, and now I did. I wondered briefly if the dream meant anything, or if my mind was playing tricks on me again. I sighed and shook my head. No way I was getting back to sleep again after that.

I cast aside the blanket and made the bed neatly. The others were still soundly sleeping, but according to my watch it was about six in the morning, anyway. Of course they'd all be sleeping. I took a brush and my school robes into the bathroom to get dressed and ready for the day. When I got out, Hermione was waking up, too.

"Morning," she murmured sleepily.

"Good morning," I whispered. "I'm heading down to see if they're serving breakfast yet. Want to come?"

She nodded. "Give me five minutes."

True to her word, she was dressed in her school robes and had her hair combed out in just five minutes. Her hair was still a little fluffy, but nearly as bad as it had been yesterday. I determined that as soon as I was good enough with a wand, I would help her tame the mass of thick brown hair.

At first, it seemed like we'd never find the right combination of staircases and hallways. Soon enough, however, we found the familiar-looking marble staircase that led town into the Entrance Hall, and finally into the Great Hall. There weren't many other people in there at the moment, but there were enough to warrant some food on the tables.

There were kippers and bacon, eggs and sausage, loafs of toasted bread, cornflakes, porridge, rolls, and canteens of orange juice and water on each of the four long house tables. Hermione and I sat on the end on the bench.

I helped myself to a glass of orange juice and iced water, some sausage, toast, scrambled eggs, and a bowl of cornflakes with milk. I also snitched a banana from a platter farther down the table and cut it up with my spoon in the cornflakes.

Professor McGonagall seemed to be the only teacher already up, although she wasn't eating breakfast. She arrived at our table with a smile.

"Nice to see some of our house up early this morning." Only one other Griffindor was seated at the table, a much older student who looked like he hadn't had much sleep to begin with. He was stirring salt into some porridge. Other than us, there were a smattering of Ravenclaws, and two older Slytherins in the room. She continued and handed us each a sheet of parchment. "These are your schedules. Hopefully, you'll be able to find the rooms all right. I try to make it clear for first years."

The paper looked much like this:

Monday

9am – Herbology

11am – History of Magic

1pm – Lunch Break

2pm – Charms

Tuesday

9am – History of Magic

11am – Transfiguration

1pm – Lunch Break

2pm – Charms

Wednesday

9am – Herbology

11am – Transfiguration

1pm – Lunch Break

2pm – Defense Against the Dark Arts

Midnight – Astronomy

Thursday

9am – Herbology

11am – Transfiguration

1pm – Lunch Break

2pm – Charms

Friday

9am – Potions

I compared schedules with Hermione, but of course they were the same. McGonagall had said before that all our classes would be together. So, eleven Griffindor first years would be learning all together for seven long years. I smiled at the thought. I was surprised to see that the next people who came into the Great Hall were Fred and George Weasley. They hadn't struck me as early birds.

"Fred here couldn't sleep," said George, grumbling. "Woke me up at seven bloody o'clock in the bloody morning."

Fred smiled tiredly. "Sorry, dear brother."

"So…are our schedules going to change?" I asked the boys.

"Not yet," George said, spooning up some porridge.

"You'll get new classes third year. That's when things really get rolling."

"How so?" Hermione asked.

"Third year you get electives," George said.

"Fifth you take the O.W.L.s."

"Then sixth and seventh you start planning for N.E.W.T.s."

"Bloody hard, or so our older brothers say."

"We don't know." They both said this last together, and shrugged as one.

"Well, it's school…it's supposed to be hard," I pointed out.

"Logical," Fred nodded.

"I like her," George smiled. "She makes sense."

I laughed at them.

"So, you guys are in third year, right?" I asked. "What electives are you taking?"

"Divination and Care of Magical Creatures," said Fred. "Probably will drop Divination next year. Might like the creatures, though."

I smiled. "I like animals, too. I'll probably take that one when we get into third year."

"Professor Kettleburn teaches it right now," Fred said. "He's missing an arm from one of the hippogriffs a few years back. Didn't bow low enough or something. Percy dropped that class and gained Muggle Studies."\

"I know enough about Muggles," I shrugged, spooning up some more of my cornflakes and bananas. "I am one."

"It'd be interesting to study them from the wizard perspective, though," Hermione said. I didn't think too much about the statement, because I didn't think so.

Professor McGonagall came back around and handed the twins their timetables. "Don't listen to too much these two have to say. They've barely scraped by in any of their classes."

"Oh, you hurt us, Professor!" Fred cried out, dramatically placing his hand over his heart and tossing his head back.

"You wound us!" George agreed, mirroring his brother.

I laughed, and I swore that I saw a smirk on the professor's face as she started toward a group of Ravenclaw elders who had come in through the door. It was eight o'clock now, and the Great Hall was starting to fill up again. I gulped down what remained of my orange juice and stood to leave.

"Still have to go get our books," I said to Hermione. "Then we can explore a bit and see if we can't at least find our classes for today."

"Right," she nodded and stood up.

"Thanks for the chat, Fred, George," I said as we left.

On the back of our timetables turned out to be a small description of how to get to each of the classrooms. Hermione and I easily found the History of Magic classroom, just up the marble staircase in the Entrance Hall and toward the left. The Charms classroom ended up being on the third floor, just down a corridor. There was a huge window right beside the entrance, looking over the road leading to the school itself.

With that accomplished, Hermione and I went up to gather our school supplies together for the day. I slid my wand into a deep pocket in my robes, and packed up One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, A History of Magic, and The Standard Book of Spells Grade 1. I thought better of it and grabbed Magical Theory, too. I piled a stack of parchment, a bottle of ink, and a handful of quills. I also grabbed my dragon-hide gloves

Once satisfied that I had everything, I walked over to Hermione.

"Do you think we'll need our gloves?" Hermione asked. "Our wands?"

"I don't think it's a good idea to leave our wands anywhere," I said, thoughtful. "I did bring my gloves just in case."

We headed back downstairs, only to see Ron, Harry, Kaz, and Kurama headed down the stairs lickety-split. I laughed at the panicked look on Kurama's face.

"Relax, guys!"

"We're a little late," Ron said.

"I'd suggest grabbing your wands, gloves, and books for Herbology and History of Magic," I said pointedly. The four boys exchanged a look, then bolted back upstairs before reappearing with their bags. Ron's was crammed with parchment and a quill was threatening to fall out.

"Herbology's outside, so go get your schedules and grab something to eat," I said. I smiled at them as they rushed out of the room. Hermione and I took our time as we walked down staircases. I was starting to get a feel for at least how to get downstairs to the Great Hall. We made it into the Entrance Hall, and stepped out through the oak doors onto the lawn. The front of the school was even more magnificent during the day. I spotted the lake off toward the south. To the left was a bunch of vegetable patches, spreading out across more than an acre of land. By those was a set of greenhouses, four in all. Hermione and I made straight for it, as did a few Hufflepuffs. I spotted Lavender and Parvati already seated on the lawn with a picnic of breakfast foods.

"Wish we'd thought of that," Hermione said. "Looks like fun."  
"Yeah," I said. "We have Herbology again Wednesday, how about we do that then?"

"Okay! Maybe we can invite those boys. Then they'd get a decent breakfast."

I nodded. "Kurama didn't seem the type to oversleep. Wonder what happened."

She shrugged and sat down on the grass next to Lavender. Neville appeared shortly after we did, and then Seamus and Dean. Harry, Ron, Kurama, and Kaz came last, just as loud bells began to ring throughout the castle, reverberating out to the grounds.

"Good morning, class!"

"Morning," muttered a few. I spoke clearly, but that's just me.

"Let's try that again, shall we? Good morning, class!"

"Good morning," the class intoned. Along with the eleven Griffindors, I counted eight Hufflepuff. That's odd. Why so few? I recognized Hannah Abbott, but the others weren't ringing any bells.

"My name is Professor Sprout. You're lucky enough to be in one of your double courses this morning. Griffindors, meet Hufflepuffs and vice versa." She seemed really cheerful and happy-go-lucky. "Today, our lesson will be about wand woods, since that is probably the only botany you may already be familiar with. Galis, what wood is your wand made of?"

"Eucalyptus," I said, trying to make my voice carry.

"Ah, good. That's a rare wand wood type, because of how thin Eucalyptus grows. In fact, I'm pretty sure—let me see your wand a moment." I took it out of my pocket and handed it to her. "Yes, you can see, class, how the wood was burnt first, and then bound together by its core. This wand was probably made of several Eucalyptus fronds, not just one as is usual of a wand."

She handed me back my wand and I took out parchment and began to take notes.

"Finch-Fletchley, what is yours?"  
"Mahogany, Professor," he said, lifting it up.

"Ah, yes. We have several mahogany trees in our forest just behind me, three of which have been harvested for wand wood. Now, let's get down to discussing each of the different types of wand wood and what they are usually good for in magic…"

She continued lecturing on common wand woods—vine, oak, mahogany, cherry—and then led the way to the edge of the forest where we identified several trees by their leaves. It turned out we hadn't needed our gloves after all.

The end-of-class bell rang and Professor Sprout shouted over us. "You have a foot essay assignment on the types of wand wood. Choose two and describe what style of magic they are suited best for. You're dismissed."

I checked my watch. Fifteen minutes to get to the next class. I showed Hermione and the two of us headed back toward the castle quickly. Although we knew where it was, I wanted to be early so I could go over my Herbology notes and make additions if necessary. I noticed that the rest of the Griffindors seemed to be following us, albeit without looking like they were outright.

"Hey, you guys know where the History class is?" I called back, grinning.

"You don't?" Ron asked, looking a little stupid.

"Yeah, just wondering if you did," I said, smiling. I stopped and waited for them to catch up. "I mean, if you don't know, we can show you. We got up early and found all the classrooms first."

"Thank you for the tip this morning," Kurama said, gesturing to his schoolbag. "It prevented a great deal of trouble."

"No problem," I grinned. "No point in losing points if we can help it, right?"

"I suppose not," Kurama nodded.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

**Next Chappie please!**


	8. First Day Part 2

**Chapter 8: First Day Part 2**

**Sarah**

Hermione and I led the way to the History of Magic classroom, which had tiered desks in a lecture hall style. It appeared able to house about twenty or so students, but so far only the Griffindors had appeared in the class. I guessed that History wasn't a double class. I checked over my wand wood notes and exchanged with Hermione for peak information to draw from for my essay. A fresh sheet of parchment was ready for when the professor arrived.

The bells rang, and I put away my Herbology notes and dipped my pheasant-feather quill into the inkpot. The seconds ticked by for a moment and I used the time to write "History, Week 1, Class 1" at the top of the page.

A ghost swung through the back wall of the classroom and perched itself at the professor's podium. He adjusted the bow tie at his neck and started to speak.

"My name is Professor Binns. We will begin our study of wizarding history in the tenth century BC." His tone was so long and drawling, so utterly monotonous that I altogether wanted to stop listening and just go to sleep. I opted instead to take precise notes in hopes that I would be able to pass the class.

"In the tenth century BC, wizards and Muggles lived side-by-side in perfect harmony. There was no reason to separate the two. Notable citizens and politicians were, in fact, wizards, and well-accepted by the Muggle population. Wizards were held in very high esteem. In Egypt, we placed spells on the pyramids to prevent grave robbers from getting to the pharaohs."

He continued, on and on and on, until even I was bored silly from hearing his voice. I almost gave up taking notes, because he just seemed to skip everywhere. I would have to rewrite my notes in a more organized way later. It was a good thing I'd read the book already!

When the class let out, he intoned an assignment. "A half-foot essay on one of the notable wizards in the tenth century BC. Dismissed." And he floated off back through the wall as if he hadn't ever been there.

Hermione screwed the top on her inkpot and I dried my quill on a bit of tissue I'd brought with me. I would have to clean it properly later. I glanced around at the rest of the room and nearly laughed. Everyone except for Kurama, Hermione, and myself were asleep. I shook Kaz, Harry, and Ron, while Kurama dealt with the other boys and Hermione got Parvati and Lavender.

"I don't think I've ever seen a more boring teacher," Hermione said. "I could barely keep my quill up!"

"Me, either," I said. "I hope Charms is better, you know? That's where we're going to learn the most of our magic!"

"That and Transfiguration," Hermione agreed.

We headed down the stairs again, passing a portrait of a young woman who looked uncannily like me. The same greenish blue eyes, the same round face, but this girl had black hair, not brown. It was lit with scarlet highlights from the setting sun not pictured in the background. She was dancing gaily, throwing flowers into the air as storms approached on the horizon, and lightning flashed amidst the red. I paused to look at the painting, pulling Hermione with me.

"Who d'you suppose that is?" I asked.

"Circe's daughter Celine," Hermione said, pointing to the plaque below the gold-trimmed painting. "It says here she was very powerful in an obscure branch of magic that accumulates only while the user is asleep."

I nodded, thoughtful. "I wonder how it worked…we could read up on it. Sounds interesting."  
"Yeah, it does," Hermione said. "Let's check out the library after Charms."

I grinned and we continued on our way down to the Great Hall for lunch.

Fred and George joined us at the table as we sat down. "First Binns class?"

Hermione and I nodded.

"Bummer."

"They've been talking for years about getting a live one—"

"But they haven't found anyone who knows enough—"

"To teach it."

Hermione smiled briefly, but I just shook my head. "Well, one day they will. Till then, I guess Hogwarts will have to deal with a ghost teaching it."

Hermione and I finished our lunch and were pleasantly surprised when Harry and Ron rose to follow us. I turned around when we got into the Entrance Hall to talk to them.

"You guys following us for a reason?"

"Well…uh…" Ron stammered, his ears turning scarlet.

"You know where the classes are," Harry said. "We haven't a clue."

I chuckled. "Okay, I was just messing." I climbed the marble steps to the first floor and headed for another set of steps. "By the way, it's on the third floor, in the Charms corridor. There's a plaque outside of the door to the corridor saying what it is."

"Isn't the third floor where that out-of-bounds corridor is?" Ron asked as we climbed up this set of stairs to the second floor. One of the steps vanished, but since Hermione remembered it, no one got stuck.

"Yeah, but it's at the other end," I said casually. Hermione glared at me. "What? Nearly Headless Nick told me when I asked."

Actually, it was one of the Weasley twins, but I wasn't going to say that.

We peaked at the third floor and led the way down to the other end, where a silver door you had to tickle under the knob swung open to reveal classrooms. A short little wizard, shorter than any of us, waddled out of a door across the hall from the Charms classroom, and smiled broadly at the four of us.

"Oh, early students, hello," he waved excitedly. "Come in, come in, I was just about to set up my books, a little challenged for the height to see you firsties in the eye, you know."

He smiled and held his hand at his height level, laughing at himself. He held open the door while we filed in, and began waving his short, stubby wand about the room. Several large books flew from a corner and into a sort of staired piled at the center in front of a short desk. The classroom's benches were wide, and split on either side. Several objects and trunks lay about the room, and I was sure they were items we were going to be using during our lessons.

The little man took a pair of glasses out of his pocket and began to put them on as he spoke. "I'm Professor Flitwick, but I'm sure you already—Harry Potter!"

He dropped his glasses in shock. Harry smiled nervously as he handed the glasses back to him. "Yes, that's me."

"I'm sorry, dear boy, it's just that I wasn't entirely expecting you before class." He chortled softly to himself. "Your father was always sliding in my door just as the starting bell rang. Your mother, on the other hand, was always here in her seat. She helped me set up for many of my lessons while she was here."

Harry smiled broadly. "Really?"

Flitwick nodded. I smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. I couldn't imagine never having really met or remembered anything about my parents. It was a horrible thought. I'd almost lost my mother several times—her blood was highly susceptible to disease. She'd died on the table several times.

The other Griffindors began filing into the Charms classroom, and soon we were all there. Eleven students only learning in the large classroom. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Kurama, Kaz, and I sat against one side, and Lavender, Neville, Parvati, Seamus and Dean against the other. Professor Flitwick went through the short list of eleven students, then set down his list with a smile.

"Charms is a rudimentary course, full of most of the spells that you will be needing for your life as a witch or wizard. Most students find that if they do well in this class, they do well in life—and vice versa. Now then, let's see what I can show you today…ah, Mr. Longbottom, Mr. Weasley, may I borrow your toad and rat?"

Trevor and Scabbers were set on the table in front of the two boys. With a flick of his wand and a spell—Wingardium Leviosa—the critters flew up into the air and floated about the room. Scabbers squeaked plaintively, and Professor Flitwick quickly set the rat back down on Ron's table. Scabbers, however, had other plans, and raced out from under Ron's hands and squeezed under the door.

"I apologize, Mr. Weasley, I—"

"It's okay," Ron said. "He'll come back when he's hungry." He smiled disarmingly at the professor, who nodded. Trevor came down into Neville's arms.

Professor Flitwick cast a Cheering Charm on Ron, and then a Freezing Charm on me. For a moment, I sat frozen where I sat, unable to move and well, freezing. He cast the countercharm, and then transfigured a book from his pile into a very warm, fluffy jacket that I put on gratefully.

"For the next few weeks, we will be looking at how to hold your wand properly and safely, and practicing wand movements. Wands out, please, so that we can begin."

He started on the other side of the room with Neville, whom he coaxed into holding out a very pale-wooded wand with the right hand. Flitwick fixed his fingers around it and smiled brightly at the boy.

He continued down their line, and then down ours in much the same manner. At last it was my turn, and Flitwick studied the way I was holding my wand for a moment before moving my thumb a little bit.

"There now, you feel how much sturdier a grip you have?" He asked. I nodded, blushing as he turned back to the rest of the class. Only Hermione beside me hadn't needed him to fix her grip on the wand, much to the embarrassment of some of us.

Class concluded with him still going over the basic movements of the wand during most charms. He halted us from leaving, giving us an essay on the importance of holding the wand and waving it in the correct way.

Our fourth period was free, so we were actually done for the day. I sighed as Hermione and I packed up our books and parchment. We had three essays already, two of which were due tomorrow. As I was about to open the door, Percy Weasley flung it open in a panicked daze.

"Professor, you're needed, the rest of you follow me, don't ask questions!"

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

**Yaaaay our first sign of trouble! I love trouble!**


	9. There Goes Quirrell

**Thank you for the person who pointed out that FFN buggered out my eighth chapter. Without further ado…**

**Chapter 9: There Goes Quirrell**

**ooo...Kaz...ooo**

Kurama and I followed Percy around to the other side of the Charms corridor, away from the exit door. Percy paused at an unknown statue and tapped it on the left eye with his wand. An old, spider-swarming passageway opened up on the other side. Ron held back behind us but Harry pushed him through. As soon as Lavender and Parvati passed, the passageway closed. Ahead, Percy muttered an inaudible word, and a light shimmered to life at the tip of his wand.

"Quickly," he said tersely. He paused to one side of the hidden path and counted heads while we passed. At the end of the low tunnel was a stone door. Percy went back to the head and tapped his wand three times of the door, which ground over to the side to let us pass. We came out on a stair landing, and with a start I realized we were standing not on the third floor, but on the first. The landing was the marble staircase that led down to the ground level.

"Quickly," Percy repeated, pointing down the stairs. "Into the Great Hall, don't stop."

All eleven of us all but ran down the marble steps, the insistent level of Percy's tone not to be trifled with. Neville was the last to come through the door as Percy appeared there.

Professors McGonagall and Snape were waiting for us. The tables were set up, and almost every student was sitting at their respective places, sitting with their normal classmates, even, instead of just their normal circles. Students that usually wouldn't sit together were huddled together in fear.

Professor McGonagall glanced outside the door and shut it again, her wand in her hand and ready. A moment later, she opened the door and in ran the first year Hufflepuffs, the last of the students. McGonagall set several spells on the door, most of them sounding rather serious as even Hermione and Sarah didn't know them. In spite of the fiery look in her eyes, our soon-to-be Transfiguration professor was ashen in the face. She looked as if the devil himself was about to come through the Great Hall doors. With another flick of her wrists, she swiftly covered the windows that owls usually came in through, and she said more complicated spells on each one.

When she next glanced up, she sighed. Apparently we were as safe as we were going to get with all the spells she'd just cast. The next two words she said weren't spells as far as I could tell. "Oddment, Tweak," she called. A few moments later and some steaming stew and loafs of fresh-baked bread and butter appeared on the tables, along with goblets of ice water and pumpkin juice.

A few people picked at the food. I grabbed a bowl of the stew and some bread and butter, and slowly ate it to pass the time. Percy and the female Prefect stood around the table, and so did each of the other houses' Prefects. The Head Boy and Girl stood at the head of the hall by Professor McGonagall and Snape.

It was almost an hour later that we got any information as to why we were sitting in the Great Hall, and why some of the older students were missing their fourth class today. Up until then, most people had been talking in low tones to each other. Most people were scared—even me a little. Hermione and Sarah passed the time writing their essays and swapping information from various books they'd read. I guess I probably should have been at least writing my essays due tomorrow, but I was too worried.

Anyway, after an agonizing amount of time, the other professors showed up outside the door. I heard various passwords go around between the deputy headmistress and the door before it finally squealed open at her hand. Dumbledore stood on the other side first, and in filed every prof in the place, some of whom I'd never seen before this.

With the exception of a single professor, they were all here. They talked quietly in hushed tones. Even Kurama couldn't hear them.

McGonagall sighed, but she didn't put her spells back on the door.

"Students," Dumbledore said, letting his voice carry. "I am afraid I must present a piece of bad news. Our beloved Professor Quirrell has died. He was killed by the Killing Curse."

Several of the other students gasped aloud, but the significance of the Killing Curse was lost on me. It wasn't for long.

"We have reason to believe that the castle had been invaded by a user of the Dark Arts. We are also certain that this person, whomever they may be, has left. Let me assure you that you are safe in this school—this person had entered the school by Professor Quirrell's hand. I have already contacted and plan to hire a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor—if he accepts, he will be here on Wednesday morning. The remainder of your classes for today are canceled. You may go to your dormitories if you wish. I have also lifted the ban on the third floor corridor."

Harry and Ron exchanged looks. Kurama looked thoughtful as everyone seemed to follow Dumbledore's suggestion and headed for their dorms. Sarah and Hermione headed up the group as everyone climbed the stairs.

I overheard Harry and Ron talking. "…whatever it was that Hagrid got out, I bet it's in the hands of whoever that Dark wizard is."

"What thing Hagrid got out of where?" I asked. Sarah and Hermione turned around at my question.

Harry looked around at the other Griffindors, but it seemed that only us four had heard. "I'll explain in a minute."

The others had already passed us on the stairs as the six of us made our way up into the Griffindor dorms. Since we were alone, Harry started talking.

"When Hagrid took me to Gringotts, he took something out of a high-security vault, saying it'd be safer here. Same day, someone tried to break into a vault, but it had been emptied that day," Harry explained.

"So whatever it was that was Hagrid brought here wasn't really safe anywhere," I said, nodding.

"And whatever it was is obviously in a Dark wizard's hands now," Sarah said. "He probably stole it and Quirrell got killed trying to keep him from leaving."

"Quirrell wasn't exactly brave," Harry said, wincing. "He probably just got in the way."

"I hope that Dumbledore's contact accepts the DADA job," Hermione said. "We're going to need that class if there's a Dark wizard around now capable of using the Killing Curse."

We agreed and all headed upstairs to get to work. Sarah, Hermione, and Kurama agreed to read over our essays for us and when dinner came around, we all had all three essays from the classes today written.

**ooo...Snape...ooo**

Little in this world surprised me anymore, but the simple, irrefutable fact that Dumbledore was pacing did. Of course, the other professors all knew what had happened. Flitwick was horrified, McGonagall even now muttering about how we would keep the students safe. I sat back in the room, trying not to appear as though I were worried. I was, of course. If it was who we thought it was…

Madam Pomfrey strode into the room, her hands covered in the boy's blood. She took a deep, steadying breath. "Mr. Finch-Fletchley is sleeping now. He's lost a lot of blood…but he will live, sir."

Flitwick strode over to her, and cast a cleansing spell on the woman's hands. The blood vanished, but I'm sure she wouldn't soon forget it.

"We don't have much time," I murmured. "If it is him…he will be alive and well soon enough."

Sprout sucked in a breath, trying to appear brave. The tears sliding down her cheeks were all too opposite.

"I've contacted whom I believe we can trust," Dumbledore said, taking a steady breath. I could have sworn he was looking at something on his desk. "Via the old Order method. I've called it back into action."

"You really think…Oh, Albus!" McGonagall looked, for all the courage in her eyes, paler than the Bloody Baron.

Trelawney, the old hag, spoke up in trembling shivers of words. "This is not as it should be, Headmaster. Troubling in the waters. Meddles."

"I know, and I realize its source," Dumbledore said, a shadow of the twinkle in his eye. "I would add more, but I don't wish to cause an outrage. Lord Koenma would have my head upon a platter."

"Koenma? What does that little brat have to do with anything?" I snarled.

"Why…only a little. Quirrell would have died soon enough, anyhow, and Mr. Finch-Fletchley will be fine," Dumbledore said lightly. "It will be a time before we are sure what Voldemort has in store, however. I believe that he will begin gathering his followers first, and we will be ready for him again."

"But sir! What about the other thing that we hid in there?" Came Sprout's voice. "Surely, if You-Know-Who recognized it…"

"And that is why we can thank Koenma's interjection, however unwanted prior to this. For now, we stay silent. I have asked a certain someone to come in and train our students for defense against the approaching dark times." His blue eyes twinkled in my direction. "You may recall him, Severus. He'll be needing your help again."

I growled under my breath. "All right. I'll start on it now."

With that, I swept from the room. Moments later, a burning sensation swept up my arm, straight from the Dark Mark I had long ago thought would never burn again. Turns out I was wrong.

**ooo...Hermione...ooo**

I wasn't entirely certain how to conduct myself in the Griffindor Common Room. The other five had settled into fluffy armchairs around the main fire, myself between Sarah and Ron on a couch. I was reading the Defense book with a small, tingling hope that whomever would soon be teaching the course would change it. This book certainly was no help.

"I wonder what it was that they were hiding in that room," Harry said quietly. "Hagrid looked like he was crying."  
"Crying is an understatement," Sarah added gently. "He was hysterical. Like he'd lost something very precious. I wonder if that's how he felt about Professor Quirrell?"

The others shrugged. Kaz glanced up at the others. "I didn't see Hagrid anywhere…"

"Oh, he ran by the door, you were facing away from it," I said. "Kurama and Ron were, too." I glanced at the other two redheads. One had brilliant scarlet, while the other was a more subtle but nonetheless flaming red. Kaz's was more decidedly orange.

"I did hear him, though," Kurama said. "He was saying 'Fluffy' as he ran by."

"Maybe they killed one of Hagrid's pets, too," Harry said, musing. "He loves animals. I bet he's got loads around here."

I nodded, and glanced around. "Well, everyone, I don't think we're going to figure out much more…let's get some sleep. We still do have classes tomorrow."

Sarah and Kurama nodded, getting to their feet. Harry, Ron, and Kaz stayed seated as the boys began to discuss other things. Before Sarah and I had made our way up into the girl's side of the tower, I noticed that Neville had joined them. Well, good. Boys will be boys without my help.

"You know…I wouldn't be near as good a student if it weren't for you, Hermione," Sarah said as we both entered the bathroom. She had sleep clothes under her arm and snitched a towel from the stack of ever-warm, fluffy white ones. I followed her example to get a shower.

"How so?" I asked.

"I'm normally a good student, but I'm not really a great one unless I have someone to bounce ideas off who actually has a brain in her head," Sarah said, grinning. "And you meet that qualification far more than even you probably realize."

I blushed. "Oh, stop, you're embarrassing me!"

Sarah shrugged. "Just telling it like it is."

I stepped into the shower and listened to Sarah hum nonsensically in the one beside me. The smell of her shampoo lifted to my nose, strong and intoxicating scent of green apples and lavender. It was actually really soothing. I considered asking her where she got it from as I opened my own bottle of cheap, unscented shampoo. I was just shutting off my showerhead and stepping out when Sarah stopped humming to herself.

I had just finished pulling on my pajamas when a loud CRACK came from Sarah's shower, filling the bathroom with the noise.

"Sarah?" I said loudly. "Sarah, you okay?"

No answer.

I knocked on her door.

Still no answer.

I cast an Unlocking Charm on the door. To my satisfaction, it opened with a slow creak. What I saw on the other side, however, made my breath catch in my throat. Sarah's arm was hanging out from under the curtain, limply against the floor. I pushed aside the curtain, ignoring my chagrin at looking at her naked.

Her body had mangled itself against one side. A stream of bright red swirled in the jets of water from the showerhead, and I stepped back in utter horror.

I bolted down the stairs and out through the Common Room, and out through the portrait hole as fast as my legs could carry me. The Fat Lady protested that it was after hours, but I didn't hear her more than that. My legs carried me straight to Professor McGonagall's office, all the way down on the first floor.

"Professor!" I shouted at the door. I banged on it as loud as I could, hysteria taking over for a few minutes. "Professor, hurry, it's an emergency!"

Professor McGonagall answered after a few seconds of me pounding, wearing an old-looking robe and a nightcap on her head. She looked upset.

"Miss Granger, whatever is the matter?"

"It's Sarah, she – she's collapsed!" I said.

Professor McGonagall immediately shut the door. "Lead the way, Miss Granger, and quickly."

I walked quickly, and then started to run down the halls. Professor McGonagall stopped short enough to cast a spell with some kind of white light – I swore I saw a cat come from it, but that didn't matter. She took long strides after me, and surprised me by keeping up with me. For such a frail-looking woman, she was fast.

Up six flights of stairs, through the portrait of the Fat Lady still in a huff. Still running past the boys who were still awake. Up and up the winding spiral stairs to the very top, where Lavender and Parvati were waiting. So they'd discovered Sarah, too.

"Professor, is she going to be okay?" Lavender asked.

She passed through the two other girls. "We will see, Miss Brown, Miss Patil."

Sarah lay still in the shower, bleeding profusely into the jets of water. Professor McGonagall whipped out her wand and shut off the water. There was worry in her eyes, and I knew then that I'd done the right thing. She carefully held the towel up to Sarah's limp form, and pulled her from the shower and onto a bench. Another wave of her wand and Sarah was dried.

For several long moments, the Professor waved her wand, and gently poked and prodded at the girl who had already become my friend. Sarah was still out, and it had now been at least ten minutes since I heard the sound.

"Do you know how this happened?" the Professor finally asked.

"She was fine when she got in the shower," I said. "She was humming to herself…it stopped and I thought she was just going to get out or something. And then I heard a loud noise and came to check on her and I found her like that. I panicked, I'm sorry I went out after hours to – "

"You've acted admirably, Miss Granger, don't worry. You were coming to get me when your friend was in life-threatening danger." She sighed. "I'll have to take her to the Hospital Wing. I can only do so much."

Professor McGonagall flicked her wand again and Sarah's nightclothes pulled themselves on her. "You may accompany me, I think Madam Pomfrey can fix her up. She'll need your help returning to the Tower."

"Yes, ma'am," I said. Professor McGonagall cast another spell, and Sarah's body slowly lifted from the ground and carefully into the adjoining dorm. Lavender and Parvati watched as we walked past. "She'll be fine by morning, girls, go on back to sleep."

I hardly even took notice of where the Hospital Wing was when we walked through the double doors. Professor Dumbledore and a squat little witch with deep brown hair and a deeper frown on her face.

"Poppy, I hope you can give us some answers here," Professor McGonagall said.

Madam Poppy Pomfrey smiled sweetly and led Sarah over onto one of the many white-sheeted beds lining the walls. She clicked her teeth together over the back of Sarah's head – where most of the blood had come from.

"Just a nasty cut here, maybe a concussion…we'll see once she's awake." She began to cast spells that I hadn't yet read of, but soon afterwards, Sarah groaned loudly. Poppy sat some pillows behind her and placed a potion in her hands.

"Wha…"

"Just drink the potion, dear, it'll clear up that headache in a jiff." Sarah obeyed, her nose curling delicately at the taste. She drank it down in one swift gulp. Her eyes cleared up, and the frown that had etched her head in pain was considerably loosened.

"What…happened?" she asked.

"We'd like to know that ourselves, dear," Madam Pomfrey said.

"I was taking a shower…" she blushed, looking at Professor Dumbledore. "And then I felt really weird. Like someone had just hit me, right here." She pointed at her left rib, twitching her lips. "And then, here." The middle of her stomach. "And then, there was a really bad pain right after, right here." Directly over her heart.

Dumbledore and McGonagall exchanged a look. "It couldn't be, could it, Albus?"

"What?" Sarah and I asked in unison. We glanced at each other, then back at the two professors.

"It is something that is rare," Professor Dumbledore said. "It is possible that you are an Empathe, Miss Galis."

Sarah blinked, quietly thinking to herself. "Empathe…like empathy? Like, feeling sorry for others because I went through the same thing?"

"Not quite, although I'm sure you are a very empathic young girl," Dumbledore said, his blue eyes twinkling softly. "An Empathe is a type of witch that feels the literal feelings of others, in particular strong emotions. An even more rare Empathe, if I am to believe this correctly, is one called a Dexterous Empathe, which is to say, you feel the strong physical touches that another receives if they are in close proximity. Usually, this happens after the fact, a retrocognitive dream, if you will, of someone else's touches."

Sarah blinked again slowly. "But why do you think that I have this…Dexterous Empathe thing, what if it's something else?"

Dumbledore gestured silently to the bed to her right, which only now did I see. Justin Finch-Fletchley, I recalled, from our Herbology class that morning. He had bandages over his chest and lower torso. Spots of blood blotted his stomach, his left rib, and the space directly over his heart.

I looked from him, to Sarah, and then back again. Exactly the same places that he had been struck at. Except on the head, where Sarah's only really injury was.

"Mr. Finch-Fletchley was thrown bodily from his aggressor," Dumbledore said. "Had he been near any walls, he would have had a rather nasty gash in the back of his head, too."

Sarah looked, if anything, more brave at this. "How do I…fend off these attacks that I can't even fight back myself?"

"We suppress your Empathe abilities with a potion until you are magically strong enough to belay the injuries yourself," Dumbledore said. "I will ask Professor Snape to brew it, and he will bring it to you tomorrow. Luckily, though, you can go back to your dorm. Mr. Finch-Fletchley is, I'm afraid, regrowing his rib cage."

Sarah clutched her left rib, a sick look crossing her face. "That…was the feeling of…bones being removed?"  
"I am afraid so," Dumbledore said. "Come, girls. I will escort you back so that Mr. Filch doesn't get the wrong idea."

He steadied Sarah to her feet, and the Headmaster himself walked with us back to Griffindor Tower. Sarah shook her head and said she'd explain later to the questioning looks she received from the three boys still in the Common Room, and the two girls waiting for us in the dorms.

We both collapsed in our beds. I could hear Sarah's light, wheezing snores, and they pulled me into the sleep that I desperately needed.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

**I probably will have the next chapter up here in a bit. I'm rather flying on things, considering I have no homework and I'm on Fall Break. I wish to point out that Empathes and Dream Energy, plus the potion Restrictive Cognance are my own making. I'd also like to say that I share the particular feeling of collapsing in the shower with Sarah, which is why it's so funny to think of my Empathes like that. :)**


	10. The Demon's Dream

**Okay, so I waited till this afternoon. :P I has some nice surprises in store...of the Marauder variety.**

**Chapter 10: The Demon's Dream**

**Sarah**

_I stood in a grand-looking entrance hall, with paintings full of white-blond witches and wizards. A sweeping staircase split in front of me, and corridors under those. There were three doors besides, all ornately-decorated. The main front doors, or so I assumed, were gilded in silver, the doorknobs shaped like ornate golden snakes._

_A man walked into the room, his wide, sweeping emerald robes stark in the white-and-silver room. He bowed deeply, his delicately long nose and the ends of his white-gold hair touching the marble floor._

_"My Lord, I am pleased to see that you are, in fact, alive."_

_"As alive as I can be," said a disembodied voice. I noticed for the first time that there was a floating cloud of green smoke floating in the air in front of me. "For the moment."_

_"My wife is ready, my Lord."_

_The disembodied voice, which I supposed was actually the smoke, chuckled deeply. "I knew Narcissa would be, Lucius. The question is…is the rest of the world prepared for my rebirth?"_

_Lucius smirked, his head still down. "If they are not, all the better to take them by surprise, my Lord."_

_"Too right. Lead the way, Lucius, and be forewarned that this will hurt Narcissa."_

_There was something in that voice that sounded more like a threat than a warning, but I didn't really know why. Lucius stood straight, with a regal air, as if he were the very King of England himself. It wasn't until then that I noticed a cane sitting on the floor at his side, with a silver snake's head atop it. Lucius threw this into the air and caught it with a decisive flick of his white-gloved hands._

_I followed, curious, as the green smoke-slash-disembodied voice and Lucius led the way through the hall. Lucius pulled open a large doorway, arched and embedded with rich rubies and diamonds and emeralds. Sitting in the room was a black-haired man with a rather large nose and very shiny, possibly dirty hair. I recognized him from school, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it._

_"I trust the Elixer is ready, Severus?" Lucius asked._

_"Yes."_

_"Good. You may return to Hogwarts. I will come to call again when we need another."_

_Severus nodded curtly, and walked out through the door that had been left opened. I watched as he disappeared through the front doors, then turned back to the scene within the room._

_Sitting within a large glass case was what looked like a very large, uncut piece of amethyst. I recognized the stone only because I had read a lot of geology books when I was younger. Had I not been magical, I probably would have become a geologist. I turned my eyes toward Lucius, who had been speaking in hushed tones to someone within a four-poster bed._

_My eyes shot wide open when I saw that the bed was now moving, bouncing up and down. Low whimpers came from under the sheets and behind the emerald curtains. The woman there was shouting now, crying out in wrenched, desperate pleasure. I turned my head away, suddenly aware of exactly what the two were doing._

_They were having sex!_

_I tried to leave, to shut out the noises, the moans, the way the headboard was now banging against the wall in a rhythm I didn't want to think of. But whatever was going on, whatever this was on about, I could not leave. I shut my eyes, but could not shut my ears to the emotionally wrenching cries of the woman in the bed._

_The woman cried out louder than ever, and then the headboard stopped banging. I opened my eyes now, and squeaked when I saw that somehow, I had moved. I was now looking directly into a marital bed. Lucius was panting, his head upon the woman's chest, his eyes shut, and a great smile covering his thin lips._

_On the table to the side, as I had turned my face from the scene, was several bottles with a scratchy writing on the labels. The one that stuck out most was the Fertility Potion – certain to get the woman drinking it pregnant. A honey-golden potion also sat beside it, saying simply "Elixer"._

_The green smoke descended from its perch above the table, and settled directly over the stomach of the woman._

_"Yes…it has worked. She is pregnant."_

_Well, no fake, asshole!_

_The smoke vanished slowly into the woman's stomach. "Make no mistake, Narcissa. This will hurt."_

_The pleasure writhing within that tone was more than the pleasure the woman – Narcissa – had made during sex with her husband. Lucius placed a hand over his wife's stomach when the smoke was gone._

_"Don't worry. You are the mother of our Lord, my dear. He will be here soon, my love."_

_Narcissa nodded, still covered in the sheen of sweat from their exertions a few moments ago. She offered a smile and began to speak._

_"Lucius, I know it will be hard…but –"_

_She suddenly gave a loud, howling scream, and held her stomach taut. She screamed so loud, and so close to me, that when the pain hit me, I could not keep it in._

I awoke screaming in pain. Hermione was at my side, her eyes still bleary from sleep.

"Sarah! Sarah, wake up!"

Hermione stared at me. "Are you okay?"

"When Professor Snape gives me that damn potion, I'll be fine," I said, holding my stomach. The pain was ebbing away slowly. I knew from the event with Justin that I wouldn't be injured truly unless I hit something in the "real" world. "I just had the weirdest dream, and it…was just weird. I felt that lady's pain, as if it was my own."

Hermione nodded in sympathy. "Well, we'd better get ready for breakfast. It's eight fifteen and we still need to get dressed."

I nodded, really looking forward to meeting Professor Snape. It was the first glimpse I'd get of my once-a-week Potions professor. Hermione and I dressed quickly and headed down to breakfast with half an hour before classes were to start. First was History of Magic (ugh), Transfiguration, and after lunch was Charms. With wand in pocket, books and parchment in bag, Hermione and I were ready. I adjusted my witch's hat, still deciding whether or not I wanted to wear it permanently. Most of the upperclassmen didn't, and they'd never gotten in trouble. Lavender and Parvati had already stopped, as had Harry, Ron, and Kaz.

We arrived in the Great Hall, and everyone in the room turned to stare at me as I sat down at the Griffindor table. I glared at Lavender and Parvati, who were both retelling what had happened last night to a group of second-year Ravenclaws. They looked appropriately chastised for two seconds before continuing on telling them about how McGonagall had levitated my body out of the room.

As I spooned myself up some oatmeal, grabbed an apple and some eggs, the owls began flying in. Every single one of them was carrying a bundle in its claws. An unknown owl dropped a package in Hermione's hands, which she found was actually addressed to herself, me, Lavender, and Parvati. She opened it, and found four books inside.

"Oh, these must be the new textbooks," Hermione said. She handed one with my name on the front. "I guess they're dipping into the school funds."

"Maybe," I said, glancing at the cover. "**Dark Magic and Defenses**, by Genty Fillwigs. Intriguing name. I guess that the new prof accepted the position. Wonder who it is."

"Well, we'll find out tomorrow if Professor Dumbledore doesn't announce it," Hermione said, immediately opening the book and began reading the introductions. A few seconds later, however, and Lucky had flown in behind the stream of owls still dropping off the packages of books. Lucky had a thick letter tied to his leg. Lavender and Parvati accepted their books from Hermione as they came down at last, but I was too wrapped up in reading my note to notice.

Miss Galis,

Your potion is ready. Meet me in the dungeons to receive it immediately.

Professor Snape.

Abrupt, short, and to the point. Well, at least I wouldn't be bored by overindulgence in details like I was in History of Magic. I swiftly drank the rest of my orange juice and grabbed a piece of toast for the road.

"Gotta go, 'Mione, I'll see you in class, okay?"

She nodded, and I'm certain that she had gleaned where I was going. Sometimes having a friend cleverer than you was a good thing. I brushed past Kurama, Kaz, Harry, and Ron on my way out, offering a smile to them.

"Are you okay?" Kaz asked before I could leave entirely.

"Yeah, Madam Pomfrey healed me right up," I said. "Not even any pain left. Cool, huh? I gotta go, though, I'll see you guys later."

I chomped on my toast as I left them behind. I hadn't yet been down to the dungeons in which my Potions class would be. Probably was the reason that I hadn't seen Professor Snape yet. It grew colder as I descended from the warmth of the ground floor, and a bit on the humid side, too. I guessed that with Potions always being brewed down here, it kinda would be.

I found Professor Snape's office fairly easily. It was just down the stairs and to the right, after all, with large, archaic silver letters spelling his name out on the door. Professor Severus Snape.

Wait a second…Lucius had called that guy, the one who made the Elixer, Severus. What if this was the same person? I gulped to myself. Well…cross that bridge when I got there, I guess. If it was the Severus in my dream, I'd go and talk to Professor Dumbledore. He'd know what to do.

I knocked on the door and waited patiently. "Enter," came a deep, baritone voice from the other side. Still clipped and curt. I opened the door and kept my face schooled carefully to the curious, brand-new first-year student seeing Professor Snape for the very first time. It was difficult, but I managed it. Because right just then, I knew that my worst fear had been confirmed. It was the same man as in my dreams.

"Miss Galis. Good of you to follow instructions. Hopefully you will do the same on Friday," he said, and handed me a small vial filled with a pale, sunshine daisy yellow liquid. "This is called Restrictive Cognance, and it is the potion that will cut off the magic dealing with your specific 'skill', as it were. Drink it all. You will need to return for another dose next week." I felt a faint tugging on my frontal lobe, and thought of barriers and blockades surrounding my mind from vicious intrusions.

I nodded and took the vial from his calloused fingers. Nothing else would I have expected of a Potions master. He wouldn't have become a master of it if he'd been lazy. He sneered at me, as though reading my thoughts. I tipped the potion down my throat, feeling a warming sensation, and then nothing.  
"If you have any other strange incidents, you are to report them to the headmaster," he said. It was as if he'd truly, honestly seen deep into my very deepest thoughts. "You are dismissed, Miss Galis."

I nodded, numb but still in control of my face. A slight tugging sensation made me look back at him again as I opened the door to leave. It faded after only a few seconds, but I could see the faint look of shock on his face, faintly etched into cold, black eyes. I smiled brightly, never letting down the thoughts of blocks surrounding my private thoughts.

"Well, I suppose I shall see you on Friday, Professor. I look forward to the lesson."

With that, I dashed out and up, knowing that I only had five minutes to get to History of Magic before I was late. I flew through the door just as the bells began to ring. Hermione had saved my seat next to her, and I took it just as Binns soared through the window.

"Good morning, class, we will be continuing to look at great witches and wizards of early times. Our first witch of the day is Circe, a witch believed to have lived in around 600 BC. After the wizarding world was forced underground, she became part of the myths surrounding ancient Greece and Rome. Most of the witches and wizards we'll discuss today fall under this category.

"Circe's most powerful properties were her Transfiguration. She was the first witch to successfully become an Animagus, as far as we know today. Circe lived on an island with many lovers, but bore few children. We only know of one of them, Celine, who became the witch who discovered many of the uses of plants for beginning potions. She also was one of only five separate souls who successfully created the Sorcerer's Stone. We will discuss those fine people at a later date.

"Celine and Circe were both very powerful women. Circe was a Parselmouth, and Celine became a source of Dream Energy, one of only seven lines of witches and wizards who were capable of using it. When those lines died out, we lost that branch of magic with the exception of a few outcrops of powerful Muggle-borns."  
He continued on to other, very familiar Grecian and Roman names, all of whom I'd heard of in Muggle myth. A lot of what was said in the myths turned out to be true, but I was still going back to Circe and Celine. What an interesting mother-daughter pair that must have been, all those centuries ago.

The rest of the day went smoothly, and Hermione, Kurama, and I did our homework that evening at a table in the Common Room. Justin, according to Hannah Abbott, was not back from the Hospital Wing yet. Ron, Harry and Kaz reluctantly settled down to write their essays for Transfiguration and we all lucidly practiced our new wand movements for Charms.

For once, I did not have nightmares.

**Harry**

Wednesday dawned a little too early for my tastes, but Kurama would not let me sleep in longer than an hour before the first class any more. We had all been close to being late several times, especially to Transfiguration. Today, we had Herbology again, Transfiguration, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. At eleven o'clock, we would be escorted to the Astronomy tower for a one-hour class. I couldn't wait to see what the stars and planets had to offer us for magical purposes.

Sarah was looking a lot better, I had to admit. Whatever had happened to her, she seemed better now.

Herbology and Transfiguration ran by us without a hitch, and we settled into our seats in the newest class, waiting for the new Defense teacher to show. The class was entirely early, only comprised of the Griffindors to Hermione and Sarah's delight. The two were practically beaming to be sitting in the class. I wasn't entirely sure whether I liked Hermione – she was rather bossy – or Sarah – she was a little odd. But both had offered to help Ron, Kaz, and me do our homework right, so I guess they were all right.

As the class was buzzing around, Hermione and Sarah were discussing the first three chapters of the book we'd only gotten yesterday morning. Honestly, how could two girls read so much? They even surpassed Kurama in book-reading, and he read every last one of the books repeatedly. None of the three had yet ventured to the library, but I had a feeling it was only a matter of time.

When the bell rang, a medium-height man walked purposely into the room. He had soft graying brown hair, and looked a little scruffy even in the new teacher's robes he wore. A soft smile alighted his handsome features. He looked tired, but more than that, he looked older than he really should have, I think.

"Good morning, class," he said. "My name is Professor Remus Lupin, but you may call me Professor Lupin. Padfoot, heel."

A large black dog with brown eyes shot with scarlet lumbered out of his open office door. It seemed to say "I'll make you heel if you say that again" with its eyes. It stood to Lupin's hips, but for all its ferocity, I knew it was a good dog. In its mouth was a tenderly held scroll.

Professor Lupin counted down the list, smiling to see that everyone was there. "I see that we have no stragglers, that's good. How many of you are Muggle-born?"

Hermione, Sarah, Kurama, Kaz, and Dean all raised their hands.

The professor smiled at them. "Well, well. Half of you, then. And I understand you, Mr. Potter, were raised entirely Muggle, as well."

I blinked at his knowledge, but nodded a confirmation.

"Then the six of you – and possibly even the rest of you as well – have no idea how to defend yourselves against Dark Magic." Here, the dog beside him growled. "That is exactly my job to teach you. The dangers and the spells and enchantments capable of recognizing and dealing with Dark Magic and Dark Creatures. This class will cross over a bit with Charms, Potions, and Care of Magical Creatures, should you choose to take that course come third year."

Hermione shuffled around a bit with some papers, though she was paying rapt attention anyway. Lupin saw something on her table, and smiled down at her. "I see you've found out about my friend Mr. Black's release, Miss…?"

"Granger, sir," she said.

"Miss Granger," he said, smiling. "A falsely-accused man, I would add heartily. I am glad that we have the uses of Veritaserum nowadays. Padfoot, please stand in the middle."

The black dog obeyed, to my surprise. How intelligent was it?

"Ah, well," said Lupin. "Today, I will introduce you to some of the more common curses that can occur. I'm afraid I'm not allowed to be practical until you've passed safety requirements in Charms."

And he began to tell us about vampires, zombies, and dragons, and creatures I had never heard of like Red Caps and kappas. All throughout the lesson, he was engaging and playful, able to keep anyone's attentions with ease. I had never had a better teacher in all my eleven years of life.

At the very end of class, he asked Sarah and me to stay.

Sarah sat off in the corner reading her book while he spoke to me in his office alone. Padfoot the dog sat on his heels, his red-brown eyes watching me so intently that I was sure for a moment that he recognized me.

"Harry Potter," he chuckled, shaking his head. "You are very much your father."  
I gasped. "You know my father?"  
He smiled sadly. "He was one of my very best friends. Sirius and I were, along with Lily, your mother. You have her eyes, you know."

My face felt flushed. "I keep being told that, yes."

"I just wanted to tell you that I knew them. And that you can come talk to me if you need to. Padfoot and I are always welcome to see you."

Here, Padfoot bumped his rather large snout against the back of my legs. I patted him on the head, eliciting a gentle whine of pleasure from the huge dog's throat.

"He's a good-looking dog," I said. Lupin chuckled at the scandalized look that suddenly came over Padfoot's face.

"Don't worry about it, old boy," Lupin said, patting him on the head, too. The dog sniffed and sat down again. "Well, I need to speak with Miss Galis, Harry."

"It was nice meeting you," I said, taking my exit.

"Nice seeing you again, Harry."

I walked from the room, intent on finding Ron so I could tell him. Maybe it would cheer him up, since Scabbers had yet to return.

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**I'm going to go ahead and mention this, though we do find it out as the story progresses...When I wrote the last story on Empathes, the Empathes involved (namely, the Wolf family, more particularly, Bri) were Dream Empathes, not Dexterous Empathes like Sarah. Whereas Bri would be able to read the underlying thoughts of her target, and almost every emotion attached, Sarah does not have that ability. Dexterous Empathes are a bit different. One of the main things about them is the ability to block people from their mind - which is later mistaken for Occlumency. Sarah turns out to be pretty piss-poor at true Occlumency or Legillimens. Just thought I'd mention. **


	11. Padfoot

**I know I know I know! Bad authoress, not updating in so long! Don't worry, I've been busy…this update is just one of several I've already prepared. I await reviews…but I won't hold my breath. I know I'm not wanted. T.T**

**Chapter 11: Padfoot**

**Sarah**

I sat down in Professor Lupin's office feeling distinctly as if I shouldn't be there. Lupin himself opened his mouth to speak, but at that moment a green fire started up in the grate behind him. Suddenly, and I mean quite suddenly, Dumbledore walked out of it as if it were completely normal. I stared at the fire, but it had turned back to a regular orange. The dog nudged me away from it when I tried to touch the grate.

"Padfoot is right, Miss Galis, the fire has returned to its original state and will be quite hot now," Lupin said.

I blushed. "I'm sorry, I didn't know…how did you do that?"

"It's called the Floo Network, but for Hogwarts it is only between the teacher's offices," Dumbledore said, smiling as he sat down in a chair before Lupin's desk. "I understood from speaking with Professor Snape that you wished to speak with me."

Lupin had begun casting spells on his office door, muttering incantations that I couldn't hear.

My face flushed hot. Had I spoken aloud about speaking with Dumbledore and not realized it? "I-I…um…it's just that…I…"

Dumbledore smiled in earnest, the little glitter in his eyes sparking orange in the firelight. "Miss Galis, understand that you will not get into trouble for telling me about the odd dreams that you had the last couple of nights."

I dropped my books with a clatter on the floor. "H-How did you…?"

"It is another element of the Dexterous Empathe skill that you have so readily shown that you have," he said. "I know this must be hard on you, my dear, but I also realize that you have seen something that may be of use. Please, describe these dreams."

I blinked, then slowly nodded. "The first one was in the Forbidden Forest. I could see the castle a little. Harry was with me. There was a man, with really bright red eyes and he looked like a snake. There was a unicorn…he kept trying to get me to kill it. Harry kept pulling me back. He told me I would regret following his commands."

Dumbledore nodded, considering me with very serious eyes now. "Continue. The other dream?"

"I…was in a really huge house. No one could see me this time. A man named Lucius talked to this big green cloud of smoke. He said something about an Elixer and that Narcissa, I guess that's his wife, was waiting. I followed them down into a bedroom and…"

Here I stopped. Would it make any difference if I told them about Snape? I pushed onward anyway. They had to know. Somehow, I knew that.

"And Professor Snape was there. He made a Fertility Potion and this Elixer thing. And he left right after that. Lucius said he would call him when he needed more."

My face went incredibly red now, and I couldn't help the haltering stammer that filled it. "Er….and…um…L-Lucius….went into the bed…and…um…he…he…uh…hadsexwith um, the lady, I guess Narcissa. And then the green cloud, it went in her stomach. It told her that she was going to be in pain. And then, I felt this awful, horrible stinging pain, right in my stomach. Like something was tearing apart my insides and I woke up like that. Hermione woke me up."

For almost a full minute, my headmaster and my Defense professor stared at me. Padfoot lolled across my legs. When had I sat down on the floor? I petted the great shaggy dog's head, relishing in the softness of his fur. The two men exchanged a glance.

"The first is likely either a precognitive dream, or simply a nightmare, though since you can recall it in detail," Dumbledore smiled a touch, "I think we shall go with the former. As for the second…you dreamt it while an actual event was occurring."

I went pale. "So Professor Snape was really brewing stuff for that thing? What's he doing that for?"

"The 'green smoke', as you so eloquently put it, is, in short, Lord Voldemort," said Dumbledore, all seriousness pervading his face. "You have witnessed a remarkable thing, Miss Galis, something that will shape the coming years. Tell me, was there any speech from the belly of Narcissa?"

I shook my head. "That I can be sure of. The smoke made it deliberately clear that it could not speak whilst in her."

"That is possibly the best news I've heard since Sirius was let go," said Lupin, grinning broadly. "The bastard can't give orders from in the womb. We may even have a few years till the baby can even get a decent set of vocal chords."

Dumbledore nodded. "And aging spells and potions won't be able to help him, if he wants the body to survive long enough. This is perhaps the best news we've gotten in some time."

I raised my hand, feeling quite foolishly as if I was interrupting a fervent class discussion with something mediocre like a piss trip. "I'm a bit confused. What is such good news about You-Know-Who coming back as a baby?"

"Call him by his name, Miss Galis," Dumbledore said, smiling. "Proper names for things. Now, to answer your question. This means that Voldemort will not be able to move forward with his plans until the child's body and mind have caught up with him. We have a few years to plan."

I nodded. "Okay, then. Um…then what does all this have to do with me?"

"With everyone, really," Dumbledore said. "Your other friends are all a part of this. Mr. Weasley, Misters Nobunaga, Mr. Potter, and Miss Granger. Not so much Miss Granger or Mr. Weasley, but…they are your friends."

"Ron's more Harry's friend, we're all kind of neutral except with me and Hermione," I said. I stroked Padfoot's hind leg, eliciting a plaintive whine from him.

"At any rate, the other reason why we're here," Lupin said. "I've been asked to help you gain enough strength and control of your magic that you can control it, so that you aren't hurt again. Once we're sure that you can handle it, we will take you off of Professor Snape's potions."

I nodded, smiling a bit at that. I liked Professor Lupin.

Dumbledore also spoke up. "I'd like you to take Padfoot with you, Miss Galis. He will be able to dream your dreams that are being blocked by the potion."

"But…how will you ask a dog what he dreamed?" I asked, perplexed.

Lupin smiled. "Oh, you'll find that Padfoot is anything but a dog."

And Padfoot stood up on his paws. I may have blinked. I'm not sure. But in that moment of clarity, Padfoot had gone from being a very cute, loveable, adorable dog, into a cute, kind-looking gentleman around the same age as Professor Lupin. I probably just five feet high jumping to my feet.

"You're a man!"

"Yes." The three men all chuckled at my reaction.

It took me about three heartbeats to recognize him. "You're…Sirius Black. The guy that they just set free from Azkaban."

He scowled, then grinned, and easy, simple gaze in his handsome eyes. "That would be the story, yes."

He was still on all fours on the floor. I sat back down, staring at him uncertainly. He sat back on his ankles, looking for all the world like it was the most natural thing in the world to sit on the floor in a room with two other men and a single eleven-year-old girl.

"This way, the dreams you have will not be pushed into one of your roommate's heads," Lupin said, acting a bit cautious. "Last night, Lavender Brown could not sleep at all after seeing the pain that Narcissa Malfoy was in."

I blinked. Lavender had looked really tired. "Narcissa…Malfoy? Lucius and Narcissa are Draco's parents?"

"In a word, yes," Dumbledore said.

I chewed on my lower lip. "How come you aren't registered, Mr. Black?"

The question was probably a bit strange, because Lupin and he laughed at my question. I felt my face begin to burn, but was saved when he answered. "I wasn't ever really the mood for rules, per se. James, Peter, and I were all unregistered Animagi."

"What about you?" I asked Lupin. "I thought they were your friends, too, right?"

Lupin stopped short. "I'd only mentioned Sirius as my friend. How did you know about James and Peter?"

I blinked. "I don't know."

Dumbledore rumbled quietly. "Which brings us to my next query, Miss Galis."

I waited patiently.

"How is it that one so young like yourself is able to block a seasoned Legillimens with the ease and safely so without casting the Occlumens counter?"

I looked at him like he was crazy. "Huh?" Great answer, Sarah, I thought you were intelligent. "What?" As if that's any better!

Lupin smiled. "Sarah, did you put up mind blocks against people trying to read your mind?"

I blinked. "Well…I've always been a secretive person. So if I didn't want anyone to know something, I'd usually block it out of my own mind. Is that what you mean?"

Lupin and Black chuckled softly. Black was the one who spoke next. "A regular Lily. Wonder if you're related to the Evans at all, kiddo."

I thought about it a minute. "My grandmother's maiden name was Evans. It might be possible. But I'm Muggle born."  
"So was Lily Evans," Black said.

I cocked my head to the side. "Well…my grand uncle did have a kid named Petunia, and there was another one but no one mentioned her ever. I haven't met them."

Black began to roar with laughter I hadn't known existed. "Well, I'll be damned again, she's related to Lily!"

"That would make you Harry's cousin or first cousin, or something like that," Lupin explained. I stared at the two, completely dumbfounded.

"Well…couldn't Harry come live with me then, instead of his uncle and aunts?" I asked, blinking. "I mean, they treat him like garbage."

"Second cousin, actually," Dumbledore said. "And I believe that would be up to your parents. Aren't we already hiding several things from your father already?"

I gulped, turning red as the professor and the dog-turned-man regarded me. "Well…yeah, I guess. Dad's not too keen on magic. He's an American and his sister got really deep into Wiccan stuff. She got killed during a séance. He's never forgotten it."  
"Damned Muggles," Black muttered. "They can't leave a sleeping dog lie. Gotta mess with everything. Bet they were using a Ouiji, too, drug out all kinds of Dark creatures."

I was shocked. "How'd you know about the Ouiji?"  
"Muggles don't realize that the Ouiji is a Dark wizard's way of dragging creatures to the surface," Lupin said. "They usually harbor dinleros, which are traditionally harmless with a simple Stun spell. They usually just leave after they wake up. But with Muggles, it's different."

"At any rate, gentleman, Miss Galis, I think we are through for today. Mr. Black will begin escorting you from now on, Miss Galis. Just think of him as a large, furry bodyguard."

"Very funny, Albus," Black retorted, but a sly smirk had come across his handsome face. He turned to me, still sitting on the floor. "I'd prefer the bed to the floor for once, but if you're not comfortable with that, I'm sure Minerva can Transfigure me up a doggy bed."

"I could Transfigure you a 'doggy bed' myself, but you can sleep in my bed. Just don't turn back!"

"I doubt I'll be able to," he said, chortling. "Albus, Remus, can we stay here a few minutes longer?"

Professors Lupin and Dumbledore both nodded, and thankfully exited through the door rather than the fireplace. Now that had spooked me. When the door shut, he grinned at me lopsided.

"I heard a lot about you since I got here," he said. "Mind if I call you Sarah? You can call me Sirius."

"Er…of course, um…Sirius," I said, rubbing my elbow. "I've never called an elder by their first name before."  
He chuckled. "It shows. Your dad was an American, eh? I suspect military."  
I jolted. "Just where do you think that from?"

"You lied to him about your school," he said, ticking things off on his fingers, "You don't seem to like him that much, you're immaculately polite, you haven't slouched once in your seat or in here, and not many people would ardently continue calling people 'Professor'."

I blinked. "You've very observant, Mr Bla – Sirius."  
"It's either notice stuff or go crazy in Azkaban," he said, waggling his smooth eyebrows at me. He studied me a minute. "You know, it's kind of crazy to mention this…but you sort of even look like Lily. It's a wonder you're not already on dates with uncouth guys."

"I'm not interested in dating," I said.

He laughed again. "Now you even sound like her."

I cocked my head. "How's that?"

"Lily was all books, brains, and know-how. Crazy enough James snapped her up. I always thought she'd end up with Remus, but…turned out they were perfect for each other. Mr. Chaser and his Mrs. Know-It-All. It was amazing she could even stand him talking about Quidditch left an' right."

He fidgeted with the hem of a very old, very battered-looking black robe. "Listen, Sarah…about Harry. Um…I should probably mention that I'm his godfather. Once this whole business with the ole Darkness Sod is over…I'm technically able to take care of him, too."

"I just want him out of the Dursleys. They're cruel and crude," I said. "I think it's great that Harry has somewhere to go, even better. Anyways…I wanted to thank you."  
He cocked his head to the side, looking for all the world like the dog he'd turn back into in just a few moments. "Thank me?"

"Yeah. For taking those odd dreams for me. It's like fighting, you know? I can't tell you how horrible they are sometimes."

He ran a delicate, friendly hand down my arm. "Don't worry. If we can help it, you won't ever have to deal with any of this again."

I shrugged. "I don't mind dealing with it. Sometimes. I've always had horrible dreams like these, but it didn't get bad until my first night here. I guess I must have always been getting 'em."

He nodded. "Well, all right, then. I guess I'd better turn back into a mutt and tail you around. Maybe I can get reacquainted with my old stomping grounds and actually learn something this go-round."  
I chuckled as he turned back into a dog. Once his tail was wagging, I picked up my books and off we went to do homework.

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**No worries, I have plans for little Sirius. Review? Please? Show me I'm loved?**


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